Primrose Mill Darwen 003

Primrose Mill Darwen rnBuilt 1882-83 by the Reverend P. Graham of Turncroft. after standing empty for some time the mill with 280 looms, was leased to John Wardleworth. In 1905 the mill was extended by the Darwen Mill Building Company Limited. During 1914 Wardleworth's son Joseph, registered John Wardleworth (Darwen) Limited, to run the business. The mill closed in 1931 and in 1934 the buildings were taken by a firm of wholsale grocers for canning and food packaging. Weaving was reintroduced in 1951, when Hindle, Warburton and Company Limited of Blackburn, installed 221 automatic looms to produce surgical fabrics. The business was later purchased by Smith and Nephew, and was closed in 1959. Since the of textile activity the mill has been used by wallpaper and paint manufacturers, and from 1983 has been occupied by Woodside Products. rnMike Rothwell