Ellenroad Engine House autumn update

A number of developments have taken place at Ellenroad Engine House this autumn.

The Society and Trust of Ellenroad Engine House has started the work needed to become an accredited museum and appointed a mentor, Garry Smith, who was formerly in charge of Bury’s Fusilier Museum.

Becoming accredited as a museum opens up new sources of help and funds. 

This year Ellenroad received bequest donations of a number of model mill engines and is in the process of building a display of these working on compressed air.

The engines were donated by the families of two members who sadly died this year: Gerald Cottell, who exhibited his engines at the engine house for many years, and Harry Butler, who made models very nearly into his nineties.

The display will be in the space formerly occupied by the site model. The model has been brought down to the main hall. It is showing its age and is in need of much repair.

A new fixture has been built in the hall to support and power new lighting which will improve the general lighting as well as performances. A generous grant towards this was made by the Foyle Foundation.

The Railway and General Engineering Company now has a name. Following traditional practice, it is named after relatives of the volunteers and is now named Irene.

Irene has been substantially rebuilt and most of the parts have been cleaned and are free to move. It now looks like an engine on the new base.

There has been a delay on the rebuild of the engine because of an excessive workload at Martin and Taylor Engineers, who were unable to machine the crankshaft and bearings for several months.

Ellenroad is happy to announce that these are now complete and back with the engine.

Ellenroad Mill was built as a mule spinning mill in 1890. After the war, a new ring-spinning mill was built and the engines were refurbished.

The museum opened in 1985 to ensure the preservation of Ellenroad Engine House and engines. Although the mill was closed in 1982 and its buildings later demolished, the engine house, steam engine and the boiler house chimney were all retained and maintained.

In 2011, the historical attraction was singled out for the ‘Heritage Award’ at the North West in Bloom Awards. 

The award-winning engine house opens the first Sunday of every month and is run entirely by volunteers. New volunteers are always welcome in an array of functions from hands on fixing engines to manning the gate on open days.

Admission is £5 for adults; free admission for accompanied children.

Why not be a volunteer? The Ellenroad engines and Museum are run entirely by volunteers. To ensure the ongoing preservation of the engines, they are always keen to welcome new volunteers, any age, male and female and to help out on virtually anything from just a few days a year or more.

• www.ellenroad.org.uk