Compstall
| Compstall | |
|---|---|
 The Athenaeum |
|
 Compstall
|
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| Compstall shown within Greater Manchester | |
| OS grid reference | SJ963908 |
| Metropolitan borough |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STOCKPORT |
| Postcode district | SK6 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Compstall is a suburban village within the in Greater Manchester, England, between Marple Bridge and Romiley. It was formerly a mill village, built by George Andrew in the 1820s to house his 800 workers. Most of the original mill cottages and other structures remain unchanged.
The waterways were also constructed by Andrew to carry water from the weir, on the River Etherow, to turn the mill wheels, which stood where the car park is today. A water wheel called "Big Lily" was the largest in England when it was built in 1839. The former millpond forms part of Etherow Country Park, one the oldest country parks in England.
Compstall was first noted as place where farmers would meet to trade and sell their sheep. The sheep were held at Barlow Fold, Greave Fold, Ratcliffe Fold, Beacom Fold and Lower Fold. In the market place today can be seen the touch stone where deals were made. The touch stone is a glacial erratic deposited during the last ice age. The deal having been agreed, the parties would spit on their hands, and hit the stone, sealing the deal.
In 1804, the Andrew family established a water-driven calico printing business downstream from the present mill site. In 1815 Thomas Andrew died, his son George Andrew I reorganised the business. He built a water-powered cotton mill, and a reservoir to power the wheels. He had a steam engine to provide backup power. The earliest workers' cottages had been built in the southern side of the bridge in 1806; in 1823 cottages were built along Market Street on the north side, and this became the heart of the village. With further mills, further houses were added to the north of the village, and by 1839 the village was almost complete.
A Co-op store was opened in 1851, and further shops followed. The first church was the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. The Andrews family built the multipurpose Athenaeum in 1865. St Paul's Church of England church was built in the Early English style.
Steam and gas lighting were installed in the mill by 1890, and these were replaced by electricity in 1915.
George Andrew experimented with printing, then on the death of his father started on the mill complex on the site we know today. Between 1833 and 1833 he built Old Mill, a five-storey L-shaped building that fronted on the river and on Market Street. At the north end of the building there was a four-storey building that housed the water wheel. During the six years from 1833 to 1839, the Scotland Mill, the Victoria Mill, Provans Mill and Noah's Ark weaving sheds were built. The first two water wheels, Old Josh and North Wheel, were supplemented by the giant Lily Wheel in 1838. This was 17 ft (5.2 m) wide and 50 ft (15 m) in diameter, and was built by Fairburn and Lillie.
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Wikipedia