HAZELHURST MILL
LATER KNOWN AS HAZELHURST WORKS/SIMS/WIREWORKS
Built late 19th century.
In 1882 Mr John Fletcher had 12 terry towel looms in a shed at Woolfold, Bury and these were subsequently bought by William Eccles formerly of Holcombe now at Cobden Mill, Ramsbottom who started terry towel manufacture at Holcombe in 1892 combining it with his existing honeycomb and huckaback towel business. [A Treatise on ‘Early Recollections of Industrial Radcliffe’ by Herbert Barlow - RHS Archive from Civic Hall 2/09]
1887 – William Eccles – Hazelhurst Mill – 60 looms – plain and fancy towels [Worrall].
1888 - William Eccles, towel manufacturer lived Hazelhurst [Slaters Directory ]
1893 The original building in Mill Street on 1893 Map was shown as a towel mill and in 1930 shown as Hazelhurst Mill – a cotton mill producing towels.
In 1934 the mill was occupied by Davison’s Slippers Ltd, the mill owners being W & J Eccles. The mill was of typical old Lancashire construction. Billy Eccles drove a Lancaster saloon car and lived in a large stone house in the terrace 163-171 Bolton Road West. He owned a towel mill in Kay Brow. [Ramsbottom Reminiscences]
The towel mill referred to above was in Cobden Mill, where William Eccles operated during World War 2.
In 1936 Kurt Oscar Engel (Berlin born) established his company at Hazelhurst Mill, producing first class insulated wires and strips. F D Sims & F W Barnes, who provided finance, were Nottingham Lace makers and friends of Kurt Engel. The company became F.D. Sims Ltd, the fourth largest manufacturer of insulated wires in the UK. In the beginning simple renovations were carried out but a couple of years later the fitting shop was enlarged and more machines built for the paper covering type of insulation. Mr Engel was always known as ‘The Boss’. Mr & Mrs Engels lived at Manor House, Holcombe Village. [Ramsbottom Reminiscences published in RHS Magazine 1992 by Fred Entwistle]
In the late 1930s, Mrs Engels established The Temple Manufacturing Company on the top floor at Cobden Mill. William Eccles operated his towel weaving business on the ground floor. (see account for Cobden Mill).
RHS Magazine N0: 30 Summer 2006 – article Fred Entwistle’s Ramsbottom Reminiscences of his work at F.W. Sims Ltd – 4 pages. Extract:
1940 ‘A devastating blow occurred at 12.45am on Monday 20th May 1940 when fire broke out in the winding department..) As the nearest telephone was situated near the seat of the fire, the night foreman had to phone from a nearby house. Two engines arrived from Rawtenstall at 2.00am but the Winding Department was completely burnt out. As a result of this fire the firm later had the finest fire precautions in the country, combined with a direct link to the County Fire Brigade.’ [ibid]
1951 There was a full page advertisement for F.D. Sims Limited in the Ramsbottom Festival 1951 Souvenir Handbook which read:
‘Hazelhurst Works Ramsbottom Lancashire – We – draw, enamel, cotton cover, silk cover, glass cover, asbestos cover, enamel and paper cover – Wire. We make ‘Simlon Wire’ and ‘Simvar Wire’.
There was also an account of the company:
- D. Sims Limited: This Company was established at Ramsbottom in 1936, for the purpose of manufacturing Insulated Wire for the Electrical Trade. In addition to the Ramsbottom premises another mill has been opened at Bury. Many tons of these products are sent out every week to all parts of the country, as well as overseas.
During the war the works were on highest priority and the firm as commended for its valuable contribution to the War Effort.
The Company now employs some 140 people, who in turn, provide the necessary material for the employment of many thousands.
By 1972 the company had changed their name slightly to Sims of Ramsbottom – Suppliers of quality insulated wires to the electrical industry. They had also been taken over by G.E.C. Group of Companies in October 1969. [ Ramsbottom Official Guide 1972]. This advertisement included an aerial photograph of the works.
F.D. Sims was acquired by the TT Group in March 1997 and is the market leader in the manufacturer of Magnet Winding Wires & Strip.
Customers include manufacturers of electric motors, generators and transformers as well as domestic appliances, power tool and automotive components. F D Sims products are also specified in the telecommunications, aerospace and defence industries. [Self- profile, 2000, found in RHS Archives in Civic Hall 2/2009].
Site cleared 2003 and houses built by Persimmon Homes but I don’t know when F D Sims closed.
1881 – William Eccles born Glossop, age 41, wife Emma and children lived at a grocer’s shop on Bolton Road. Another William Eccles (assume his father) died 1885 age 81 – his wife Sarah died 1859 age 69.
M.I. Emmanuel Church Holcombe: William Eccles died 11th February 1913 age 73 years – also Emma, his wife, died 7th July 1914 – includes some of their children. Erected in loving memery of William Eccles by the employees of Hazelhurst mill.