46 Halifax Road Todmorden. OL14 5QG

T: 01706 813214 F: 01706 819002 J. David Storah Arch. Tech. Cert. E: [email protected] Richard A. Storah Dip. Arch. MA Cons (York) RIBA AABC IHBC W: www.storah.com

Heritage Impact Assessment

Repairs to External Fabric , Burnley

Our Ref: 12-044

March 2014

RIBA Chartered Practice Architect Accredited in Royal Institute of British Architects Building Conservation Heritage Impact Assessment: Repairs to Queen Street Mill, Burnley

1.0 !Introduction Storah Architecture have been commissioned by the Lancashire County Council to seek consents, specify and carry out repairs to the to the rpoof and external fabric of the museum.

The building is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It is listed, grade I. It is in the Harle Syke Conservation Area

This statement has been prepared by Richard Storah, to address the requirements of Section 12 of the NPPF, in particular para 128, which states ‘In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected.’ The statement will consider the significance of the Museum as a heritage asset and considers the perceived impact of the proposed works.

2.0 !Historical Background Until the mid-nineteenth century the Harle Syke area was a quiet Pennine hamlet in the sprawling Briercliffe with Extwistle Township which developed through handloom and stone quarrying on a modest scale.

The next 50 years would see the village develop into an important centre with the introduction of mechanised weaving. By the time of the early twentieth century it had developed a grid-iron layout of workers’ housing amongst the mill buildings, so typical of the Cotton Industry which had transformed the area. Such is the historic and architectural setting of Queen Street Mill that the townscape is designated a Conservation Area. When first designated in 1977 it was stated the area included “the main elements of a typical Lancashire textile town at the turn of the century, all in remarkably authentic condition”.

One interesting note to make about the village is the spirit of ‘co-operation’ amongst the textile workers in Harle Syke. Beginning in January 1856 with the registering of the Haggate Joint Stock Commercial Company the village was to spawn a whole series of co-operative manufacturing concerns founded by working people. Probably initially founded to provide work for themselves by handloom weavers facing unemployment, these companies evolved until eventually there were five such concerns accounting for over half the in the Briercliffe area.

The Queen Street Manufacturing Company was established in 1894. That year work began on the stone building that was to house the enterprise. The main frontage was three-storey with attic and included process areas, warehouse and office space. The single-storey 40,000 square foot weaving was built with a north-light roof on cast-iron columns forming 19 valley bottoms. The shed was constructed in two phases. The first section was erected in 1895. When finances allowed the shed was extended along its Harrison Street frontage in 1901. It was powered by a horizontal tandem compound engine, Prudence, by Roberts of Nelson housed in an engine house to the south east corner. Driving a 14’ flywheel the engine Storah Architecture !p. 2 of 5!March 2014 Job Ref: 12-044! Heritage Impact Assessment: Repairs to Queen Street Mill, Burnley originally produced 350 horsepower. Adjacent was the boiler house which originally housed an 8’ 6” Lancashire boiler, with an economiser, by Tinker, Shenton and Co. of Hyde. Coal would be obtained from the nearby Bank Hall colliery.

The mill lodge was constructed to the south of the site to provide water and the chimney built in red brick. A stone and brick stable block was erected to house the mill’s four horses. The 36” wide ‘grey cloth’ produced by the mill would need to be taken down into Burnley or elsewhere for finishing. The company began by installing around 900 single shuttle Lancashire Looms, probably by Harling and Todd of Burnley.

By 1901 enough funds were raised to install a second boiler again purchased from Tinker, Shenton and Co. At this time another economiser was fitted. In 1914 the engine was re-fitted over the Wakes Week break and output increased to 500 HP.

The three-storey frontage to Queen Street was badly damaged in a fire in October 1918, it was decided not to rebuild the full three storeys and the block was rebuilt to house preparation processes. Some looms, approximately 100, were removed from the Harrison Street side of the shed and this was altered to provide warehouse space. The engine and boiler houses were unaffected by the fire, however it was decided to rename the engine Peace in honour of those who had died in the recently ended war. At its height the company was the largest concern in Harle Syke with around 1,500 looms although some of these were located in nearby Briercliffe Mill in the 1930s.

Due to extraordinary financial set up of the firm very little was changed at Queen Street Mill until its closure in 1982.

Today, with its sister museum at Helmshore, Haslingden it forms part of he Museum of Lancashire Industry. The Mill is quite unique as it still contains its own working steam engine which powers original looms by intact drive systems. The mill was built and run by a village co-operative and continued to operate until 1982. Recognised for its historic importance the site was bought by Burnley Borough Council, and when faced with later financial uncertainty taken over by Lancashire County Council. Set beside its mill lodge on the edge of open countryside the complex typifies the Lancashire Cotton Industry of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The site contains a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Queen Street Mill Engine, which is currently being rescheduled under English Heritage’s revision of the National Heritage List, List ID 1005085. The scheduled site consists of the engine and its house and boiler house and the flue and chimney.

The buildings are listed, grade 1. The site is within the Harle Syke Conservation Area. Storah Architecture !p. 3 of 5!March 2014 Job Ref: 12-044! Heritage Impact Assessment: Repairs to Queen Street Mill, Burnley

3.0!Significance Significance is a concept for measuring the cultural value of a place, using judgement to assess the place and its different aspects. The Queen Street Mill complex has been considered in a Conservation Management Plan, which should be referred to. It is regarded to be of exceptional significance owing to its technological survival and social history. This is reflected in its protection as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and as a grade 1 listed building.

4.0!The need for repair and intervention The building is affected by water ingress and high internal humidity in places which is causing deterioration and damage to the fabric of the building and the fittings within it. Damage includes deterioration of plaster and internal finishes, water staining, surface rusting of mechanical plant and other defects. Embedded timbers in walls are vulnerable to decay due to moisture. Walls are deteriorating and supporting plant growth, including birch trees in copings and ferns and mosses both internally and externally. The saturated masonry is also vulnerable to decay through frost action on the saturated stones.

There is a need for intervention at several levels. • routine maintenance, including the painting of window frames, rainwater goods and external joinery; • repairs, including renewal of flashings and a section of gutter and rainwater pipe. Repointing and renewal of plaster and render; and • alterations, to improve the durability of the building fabric, including the lifting of copings and relaying them on a lead DPC and infilling an external recess over the engine house lifting beam.

The works are required to return the external fabric to a sound and durable condition.

Alterations will require listed building consent. Works of repair and alteration will also require scheduled monument consent.

5.0!Proposed Works The works are detailed in the specification and drawings. They are briefly as follows: • Boiler House: replace part of valley gutter; reset copings; slate repairs; localised repointing; redecoration of windows and rainwater goods; • Flue: Repointing; • Engine House: reset copings; render repairs inside coping and to side elevation; refixing of flashings; slate repairs; repoint ridges; localised repointing; redecoration of windows and rainwater goods; • Warehouses: reset copings (including localised rebuilding to remove tree roots); refixing of flashings; slate repairs; repoint ridges; repointing; and • Former toilets: reset copings; repointing.

Storah Architecture !p. 4 of 5!March 2014 Job Ref: 12-044! Heritage Impact Assessment: Repairs to Queen Street Mill, Burnley 6.0!The impact of the proposed works The proposals are largely to prevent water ingress and stabilise the building structure. No major alterations are proposed. The proposals will conserve the historic fabric and have no impact on the significance of the building.

7.0!Conclusion The proposal is largely one of repair. It does not impact on the significance nor understanding of the building. It is considered that the proposal meets the requirements of the NPPF.

Report prepared by

Richard Storah Storah Architecture.

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