New Mills

Crowthers bought the New Mills site and the existing buildings known as The Old Corn Mill and Frank's Mill in the late 1880s. The 1895 O.S. map shows a large mill shed now occupies the site of the old Corn Mill. A further mill building stretches out along Brougham Road. Frank Mill and the Old Corn Mill were demolished in 1901 following the growth of new mill building taking place over time. Crowther Bruce & Co. became a Limited Company in 1897. They traded from premises within the New Mills site.

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner dated May 22"" 1887 reported that the Directors of the mill were Joseph Crowther, John Edward Crowther and Edward James Crowther. New Mills was primarily a woollen weaving textile mill until 1962 when production transitioned into carpet yarn production and traded under the name Colne Valley Spinning Company. Along with Crowther's other Marsden mills the mill ceased production in 2002.

In December 1896, two Irish steeplejacks working on removing coping stones on the factory chimney were killed. The steeplejacks were employed by John Tinker, Chimney Repairer of Manchester Road. The widow of one of the steeplejacks claimed three years wages at 37 shillings a week under the Workmen's Compensation Act.

New mill was extended in 1906 and includes the Art Nouveau frontage of the wages offices facing Brougham Road. The Yorkshire Factory Times of January 26th 1906 writes,

“Marsden overtime and night work still rule and is likely to be so until the new buildings are completed. At Crowther Bruce and Co the large new six storey building is ready for the roof, and the new engine house being got ready for the largest engine in the valley. Altogether Marsden is booming.”

Workers Accomodation

The Colne Valley Guardian of April 30th 1910 reported that Marsden Urban District Council, approved plans for fifty houses at The Grange, Marsden for Crowther Bruce.

The Grade 2 listed stone tenterposts running from Warehouse hill Road to lakeside are 19th century in origin. Lakeside, now a car park, is so called because it previously been the site of the mill dam.

20th Century Expansion and gradual decline
1908	18,000 Spindles	254 Looms
1911	18,000 Spindles	260 Looms
1916	24,000 Spindles	320 Looms
1925	24,000 Spindles	320 Looms
1932	18,000 Spindles	256 Looms
1945	16,475 Spindles	230 Looms
1950	16,475 Spindles	230 Looms

The Crowther Bruce Mill ceased operating in 2002. In 2005 a planning application included the creation of a new health centre, fitness centre, 32 flats and 18,000 feet of business space. This failed to materialise and the site buildings remain empty.

However, in 2026 a planning application has been submitted which includes the repair and preservation of two of the main mill buildings, off street parking, more residential space, office, food, cafe and workshop spaces, a new public square on the site entrance on Brougham Road, the opening of the river Colne and at Lakeside a new green space beside the river. A negative aspect of this application is these proposals is that the Wages Office with its attractive Art Nouveau would be demolished.

However since its publication a proposal has been suggested which would preserve the frontage as part of the development whilst the rest of the southern part of the mill would be demolished. Brougham road between Peel Street and the site entrance would be one way with traffic calming and introducing formal parking bays. In a Facebook post, former local councillor Harry Mc Carthy, wrote 'The choice here isn't between retaining some of the buildings or all of them, but retaining some of them or none of them.'

The proposals have been open for consultation and a decision is awaited. (2026)

© Marsden History Group 2026

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