THE HERITAGE IMAGE REGISTER»HERITAGE PHOTO ARCHIVE MAIN COLLECTION»GREATER MANCHESTER SEE under Place Name and subject in SEARCH box»Bury»Bury, Hudcar Fireproof Mill c1822

During the 19th century mill design was dramatically improved with cast iron being used extensively. The Hudcar Mill used a revolutionary fire-proof mill construction by the great Manchester engineer William Fairbairn.
The demolition of this early cotton mill clearly illustrates how it was constructed using cast-iron columns and beams. The floors were vaulted with brick arches or 'jacks' and layered with sand, cement or ash. Then finally, they were covered with covered with tiles or flagstones. The vertical columns were tied together using wrought-iron tie-bars.

The cast-iron columns are dated 1822 and were cast by local iron founders Kay and Routledge to Fairbairn's specifications.