7th July 2026
Origins: the Andrew family and early calico printing (early 1800s)
The story begins with the Andrew family, who established a water-powered calico printing business in the Compstall area around 1804. Calico printing was the process of decorating cotton cloth with coloured patterns, an important part of the Lancashire textile industry.
After the death of Thomas Andrew, his son George Andrew I expanded the business and developed a larger industrial complex using the power of the River Etherow. He built mills, water infrastructure and workers’ housing, turning what had been a rural area into a planned mill village.
Building the mill village
During the 1820s and 1830s, Compstall grew rapidly:
- workers’ cottages were constructed;
- roads and community buildings appeared;
- the mill complex expanded;
- water channels, reservoirs and mill ponds were created to power machinery.
The village was essentially a “model industrial settlement” of its time, with the Andrews family providing not just employment but housing and social facilities for workers. The Compstall Conservation Area is recognised for its industrial archaeology and its surviving links to 19th-century textile production.
The famous water wheel
One of the most remarkable features was the huge water wheel known as “Big Lily”.
Built in the late 1830s, it was one of the largest water wheels in England at the time — around 50 feet in diameter — and powered parts of the mill complex. The associated water engineering remains one of the reasons the site is historically important.
Expansion through the 19th century
The mill grew into a substantial textile works, with different buildings added over decades, including:
- Old Mill;
- Scotland Mill;
- Victoria Mill;
- Provans Mill;
- North Mill;
- Albert Mill;
- weaving sheds;
- engineering and maintenance buildings.
The surviving buildings show the way industrial sites evolved over time — from water power, to steam, and eventually electricity. Stockport Council notes that the site retains evidence of historic power technology, engineering works and water management.
Life at the mill
Compstall was a classic Lancashire mill village:
- long working days were common;
- employment centred around textiles;
- families often had several generations connected with the works;
- the mill owners provided community facilities, including the Compstall Athenaeum, built in the 1860s as a library, reading room and social venue.
The mill and village were deeply connected — when the textile industry changed, the effects were felt throughout the community.
Decline of textiles
Like many Lancashire textile works, Compstall faced increasing pressure during the 20th century from overseas competition and changes in manufacturing.
Textile production eventually declined and parts of the site changed uses. The complex became increasingly underused and later fell into a state of disrepair.
The modern story: dereliction and redevelopment
The former mill site became a significant regeneration challenge because it combined:
- historic industrial buildings;
- contaminated industrial land concerns;
- ecological sensitivity because of its proximity to the River Etherow and Etherow Country Park;
- the need to preserve important heritage features.
Earlier redevelopment proposals sought to convert parts of the historic mills and add new housing, but progress was slow. More recent proposals have again aimed to bring the site back into use while retaining elements of the industrial heritage.
Why Compstall Mill matters
Compstall Mill is important because it represents a complete example of a Lancashire industrial village:
- the factory;
- workers’ housing;
- water power system;
- community buildings;
- landscape shaped by industry.
It is not just an old building — it is the reason the village exists in its present form.
Calico printing can be associated with contamination, particularly at historic sites where printing and textile finishing took place over many decades. However, the presence of a former calico printworks does not automatically mean the land is contaminated — it means there are certain contaminants that environmental investigators would routinely look for.
At a site like Compstall Printworks, the potential sources would come from the processes used historically.
Typical contaminants associated with historic calico printing
1. Printing dyes and pigments
- Some historic dyes and pigments contained metals, particularly:
- lead
- chromium
- copper
- arsenic (in some older pigments)
- These could enter soils through spills, waste disposal or leaks.
2. Textile mordants and fixing chemicals
Printing often required chemicals to help colours bind to fabric. Historically used substances could include:
- chromium compounds (chromates);
- metal salts;
- acids and alkalis.
3. Oils and fuels
Mill sites commonly used:
- lubricating oils from machinery;
- coal storage;
- boiler fuels;
- maintenance chemicals.
Possible contaminants:
- petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH);
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially from coal and combustion residues.
4. Waste from historical industrial practices
Older mills often disposed of waste differently from modern standards. Potential issues include:
- made ground containing ash, brick, clinker and demolition material;
- buried tanks or pipework;
- historic drainage systems;
- contaminated fill.
5. Asbestos
Not directly from calico printing itself, but very common in later mill buildings:
- roofing sheets;
- insulation;
- lagging around pipes and boilers;
- building materials.
What would investigators have looked for at Compstall?
Given its history as a 19th-century calico printworks and later textile site, a Phase 2 investigation would typically target:
- arsenic;
- lead;
- chromium;
- copper;
- nickel;
- zinc;
- hydrocarbons;
- PAHs;
- asbestos;
- volatile organic compounds (depending on site history);
- ground gases.
