Rock Mill, Oldham Road and Wilshaw Lane Waterloo

Rock Mill was built on the site of the former Wilshaw Mill, at the junction of Oldham Road and Wilshaw Lane. Tehe site was unusual in that it was not close to a railways or canal. The water needed to supply the steam engine came from a reservoir formed by damming the Smallshaw Brook. The reservoir was enlarged when the new mill was built.  Rock Mill was four storeys above basement. It was 21 bays long (65 m), and 40 m wide with a water tower on the long side. The octagonal chimney was that of the previous mill on the site. Construction was slow, and it was not completed until August 1893. Even then only a third of its 66,000 spindles were working.

Builders, Iron founders, etc. desirous of Tendering for any of the various works required in the erection of a MILL and APPURTENANCES for The Rock Spinning Company Limited, Ashton-under-Lyne, are requested to leave their names and addresses at my office on or before Saturday the 25th instant. SIDNEY STOTT, architect, 3 Clegg Street, Oldham. 16 April 1891. [Stalybridge Reporter Saturday 18 April 1891 page 4]

Reference    Stalybridge Reporter Saturday 18 April 1891 page 4