Find out about Heywood’s Peel Street Mill

Heywood residents are being encouraged to become involved in a project unveiling the history of what was once one of the biggest mills in the area.

The Heywood project by PossAbilities is one of 57 to celebrate working-class histories across the country, after applications were invited from community or heritage organisations earlier this year.

When PossAbilities created its Wellbeing Garden and Farm at its Cherwell Avenue site, they found that the garden was once a reservoir for one of Heywood's biggest mills that took part in the industrial revolution which helped shape the modern world.

A year later when building apartments on the adjoining site, it was found that there were cellars from millworkers cottages hidden beneath the site.

Further investigation revealed that the whole site comprised Peel Street Mill, one of the biggest of the 50 that were located in Heywood.

The mill was built in 1891 and demolished in 1937 and it produced cotton that went across the globe.

Located on the site of the mill, PossAbilities, which supports 400 people with learning disabilities, has been granted £10,000 funding from Historic England for a project that aims to discover more about the site’s history.

Over the next six-months, local people, including service users at PossAbilities can be a part of a detective story to uncover the life stories of the people who worked at the mill.

Stories will be brought to life using the written word, song, poetry, art, model making, and culminate in a community walking trail telling the story. 

Rachel Law, CEO of PossAbilities, said: “We want as many people as possible, from all walks of life to join us on this intriguing detective story to find out about what went on here. We want it to be a joyous thing to do and to uncover yet more pride in the place where we live and work.”

Malcom McClean, project lead, said: “We want to involve the whole community in this project so anyone can join in researching and telling the story through writing, song, poetry, film, art or model making.

“There may even be some people in their late 80s who remember the mill or had parents that worked there, we would love to speak to them. Also, any local historians, mill experts or anyone that wants to get involved.”

The induction for the project will start in January; and then until August, participants will research and discover more about the site’s history which will be used to create the walking trail that’s expected to launch in the summer.

The website says: “We hope that this project will help preserve the memory of Peel Street Mill and its workers for future generations.”

If you want to get involved you can sign up online by filling out the form at the bottom of this page: www.peelmill.uk