Royal Mills – Ancoats Manchester

Royal Mills occupies a strategic location immediately adjacent to Ancoats Urban Village. The covers seven stages of development from 1818 to 1913 and represents a unique record of mill development from early ‘fireproof’ construction to the latest development of the earliest 20th century.

These magnificent Victorian and Edwardian industrial buildings had once been considered the most important spinning mills in Manchester. Sadly this was no long reflected in the buildings fabric. The changing fortunes of the cotton industry, the continual adaption, low cost short term uses and vandalism had taken their toll.

In 2004, our company was invited by Carillion Building and FSP Architects to submit a tender to undertake key elements of renewal including:-

• Major rebuilding and repairs of external brickwork
• Cleaning, repair and replacement of stonework
• All internal and external cleaning
• Repointing
• Formation of all new openings

The work was to be undertaken to Seven Mills simultaneously over a thirty month period with an average work force of sixty operatives made up of stone masons, bricklayers, carpenters, cleaners, restorers and general operatives.

Each mill, every elevation presented a fresh challenge. Structural sequencing, methods of cleaning, the type of repointing, material procurement all required to comply with English Heritage standards.

Technical Fact

In total, sixteen different makes of brick had been used in the construction of the earliest surviving mill, Old Sedgwick in 1820 to Royal Mills in 1913 (thus names after being opened by King George V in 1913 – a year before the commencement of the Great War).

Phase 1 works provided 150,000 sq feet of residential accommodation with 50,000 sq feet of commercial space. A business centre is situated in the new atrium located in the original court yard of Old Sedgwick.

As the project progressed, all uncovered artefacts including fly wheels, machine looms, presses etc were carefully restored and now stand as exhibits in the atrium and reception areas as a constant reminder of our industrial heritage.

Awards

The project was awarded the following:

• Best Mixed Development - North West property awards
• Built in Quality Award – Manchester city council
• Historic Environment Award – BURA waterways renaissance award

This was the most challenging project we have undertaken to date, however, after a successful completion there was a great feeling of a job well done.