HOLME MILL
Railway Street, Ramsbottom
Built 1912 red brick single storey. [datestone]
Extant 2008 – as Cormar Carpets.
1912 - Holme Mill, also known as Holme Shed, was built in 1912 and the lease sold to Messrs T.H. & F.G. Holden in 1916. Father was Philip Edward Holden & sons Tom, Harry & Fred. Philip lived Oak Bank, Tanners Street.
The single storey building with its northern light roof is a good example of a weaving shed; looms were much heavier and created more vibration than spinning frames and weaving needed good light, so single storey sheds were favoured.
Extract from ‘Memories of Nuttall Village’ by K. McCarthy page 14: It was about 1904 that the late Mr P.E. Holden took over Rose Mill ... As the firm progressed Holme Mill was built in 1912 and his three sons Tom, Fred and Harry became Directors. On their retirement the three brothers received gifts from the workers and those who had been employed the longest made the presentation and in return received flowers. The firm was taken over by the English Sewing Cotton Company of Arkwright House, Deansgate, Manchester.
From 1925 the Rose Manufacturing Company (Ramsbottom) Ltd made a variety of cloths at Holme Mill, including winceyette, pure shirtings, cambrics, hair cords and cloths for bandages and dyeing. The Rose Manufacturing Company also operated at Rose Mill, Ramsbottom from the early 1900s.
In 1924 The Rose Manufacturing Co (Ramsbottom) Ltd, cotton manufacturers of woollen/cotton/linen cloths for mechanical purposes were listed at Rose Mill. Notes relating to the RHS exhibition in 1989 say that Rose Mill and Holme Mill belonged to the Holden family – father and three sons. It would seem that this Holden family traded at Holme Mill from 1916 to 1956. (See ROSE MILL for more details relating to Holden family)
There was also a half page advertisement in the Ramsbottom Festival 1951 Souvenir Handbook for The Rose Manufacturing Co (Ramsbottom) Ltd. Holme Mill, Ramsbottom.
Makers of ‘ Dyeing Cloths, Bandage Cloths, Pure Shirtings, Cable Cloths, Cambrics, Winceyettes, Hair Cords, Voiles and Book Cloths. Also at Exchange Pillar 14, M4. Telephone Ramsbottom 2241.
1953 Coronation Year Official Proramme of celebrations – advert – ‘The Rose Manufacturing Co Ltd – weavers. Holme Mill Ramsbottom. The firm of the Future – good working conditions – good wages. A branch of English Sewing Cotton Co Ltd.’
From 1956 until about 1966, it was owned by Bury Felt Manufacturing Company, who merged with Mitchell, Ashworth & Stansfield to form Bury Masco.
In the Ramsbottom Official Guide 1967 there is a short article relating to Holmbury Carpets – formed as the carpet division of Bury Felt Co. – now Bury and Masco Industries – in 1956. They specialise in tufted carpets and were one of the first manufacturers to produce this type of floor covering. Their products are sold both on the home market and overseas, but mostly within the U.K.
Many Lancashire spinners, following the rundown of the cotton industry, gained a new lease of life by switching production to spinning carpet yarns. Originally as Tenstead Needlefelt, Cormar was involved in the production of needleloom carpet when a new type of carpet machine was developed by Tufting Machinery Ltd. This new machine was recognised by Neville Cormack as a strong contender for taking over the carpet market so, in October 1955 he ordered a 60inch tufting machine at a cost of £3,800. It was delived to Nunn Hills Mill, Stackstead seven months later, starting up in June 1956, the first year that tufted carpets were made in the U.K. At that time the company was just Greenwood & Coope, originally a textiles accessory supply business started in 1924.
In 1973 Cormar purchased Holmbury Carpets, production and offices at Holme Mill, Railway Street, Ramsbottom from Bury & Masco Industries Limited.
Soon Holme Mill was extended and tufting was transferred from Brookhouse Mill. The Warrington production unit was closed in 1975 and transferred to Holme Mill.
By 1976 all other tufting operations has also been moved and centralised there along with transport and repair workshops. A new 25,000 square foot warehouse for storage and unbacked carpet opened on the site in 1988 and Holme Mill’s new 50,000 square foot extension was completed in 2003. The backing plant, updated in 2004, is at Greenmount.
This independently owned company trades from its two manufacturing plants at Ramsbottom and Tottington and sells residential wall-to-wall carpets to retailers and wholesalers throughout the UK. All carpet supplied by Cormar is produced in Britain. Neville Cormack became Chairman in 1994. Cormar is now the largest tufted carpet manufacturer in the country, employing 230 people nationwide and ranking amongst the world’s largest carpet producers.
A lot of the information above was taken from - RHS magazine No:31 Winter 2006 pages 6/7/8 – from the Cormar Carperts 50th Anniversary issue of Cormar Review.
Kelly’s Trade Directory of 1924 shows a Phillip E. Holden lived at Oak Bank, Tanner Street and a Thomas Holden lived at Holly House, Bolton Road West –these may be the Holdens from The Rose Manufacturing Co (Ramsbottom) Limited.
Received the following from Janet Smith Autumn 2012.
CORMAR CARPETS (HOLME MILL)
In 1973 as Greenwood and Coope Ltd. (Cormar Carpets) of Brookhouse Mill, Greenmount, Bury, were in the process of a five year programme of expansion. They bought Holmbury Carpets at Holme Mill from Bury & Masco Industries Ltd. The Cormar Carpets manufacturing plant at Holme Mill had grown to a capacity of 200,000 yards of carpet a week by 1987.
Tufted carpets, made with machinery developed in Blackburn, date from about 1950. Many Lancashire spinners, following the rundown of the cotton industry, gained a new lease of life by switching production to spinning carpet yarns. Greenwood and Coope Ltd. originally began tufting operations in 1956.
HOLME MILL
1912-13 Holme Mill was built and the lease sold to Messrs T H & F G Holden in 1916
1925-59? The Rose Manufacturing Company (Ramsbottom) Ltd made a variety of cloths at Holme Mill, including winceyette, pure shirtings, cambrics, hair cords and cloths for bandages and dyeing.
1956- 66? Bury Felt Manufacturing Company. They sold the mill to Bury & Masco Industries