Silk Mill Ainsworth Street 001

b23063. Old Silk Mill Ainsworth Street. The upper storey as been removed. The building was errected by Henry Sudell as a warehouse, it was one of the first to be built after the Rev. Thomas Starkie had obtained a parliament bill to extend the lease of vicarage glebe land for a term of 999 years. In 1801 it caught fire and sustained considerable damage, but was soon rebuilt and in 1824 was occupied by Messrs. S.and J. Broadbent. Notice EWS on the side of the building, it stands for "Emergency Water Supply" and is a throw back to WW2 and the prospect of air raids. On the right is Merchant Street. Photograph taken 1954 M. 32.