Littleborough from Cleggswood Hill
ENGINEERING
Over the years, there were a number of Engineering companies but most were small employing few employees. The main companies are included on this page:
Phoenix Iron Works/Engineering
SMany of the businesses detailed on this website also included engineering personnel to carry on their main business whether they were Cable Manufactures including Carlisle and earlier Fothergill and Harvey or most Textile, Mining and Chemical Industries etc All needed Engineers of various grades and skills.
Ebor Engineering
The works were located on Ebor Street, a constricted site between the railway embankment (just north of the viaduct) and the River Roch. which runs on the western side. The 1850 OS map shows a structure adjacent to the river but it wasn’t named or what was used for. The 1873 Trade Directory ( included William Greenwood and his Albion Foundry on Ebor St and a year or two later the Littleborough Local Board passed plans for a Workshop. Over the next few years plans were approved for the erection of an Engine and Boiler House, Warehouse and Chimney etc for G Townsend, Ebor St.
1879 saw the Engineering and Millwrighting business and Plant of William Hurst, Ebor St., acquired by Edward Taylor Builder Littleborough for £1,250. Besides Edward, his brother his brother James Taylor, who was in business as an Ironmonger also became involved in in what became Ebor Engineering. Additionally, there was a James Law from Todmorden and another Mr Law from Sowerby Bridge (no relation). It was James Law who was in active management, the others being Directors. The Taylor family remained involved in Ebor Engineering as well as E Taylor and Co Ltd, Builders and Contractors, Ebor Street Saw Mills.
In April 1893, the closed Methodical Piazza building alongside of the viaduct was taken over by Ebor Engineering for additional manufacturing capacity.. ]
In 1928/9 Ebor Engineering made the gears for and installed the new Water Turbine at Lydgate Mill. Apparently, it used too much water so the mill returned to the earlier water wheel. Over the years the sons of Messrs Law and Taylor became involved in Ebor Engineering but from 1922 the business was managed by the Sutcliffe’s, firstthe father and then the son. father. Later Mr Sutcliffe took over that role, The company made steam engines including. As mills turned tto electricity te company’s work diversified. The Company was never very large with an estimated 30 employees. The owners sold out in 1972 and after a couple of years Mr Sutcliffe left.
The buildings on Ebor s1975 were in the 1970s also used by Portakabin before they left and went to a new factory on Todmorden Road before they closed their Littleborough operation. Over the years, various other Companies have come and gone including a motor repar shop, blinds and curtain Company plus various woodworking companies etc.
Phoenix Iron Works/Engineering
Phoenix Iron Works or Engineering was established in 1872 as a forge or Iron works on Canal St but by the beginning of the 20th Century it was located on a vacant site between Phoenix St, Newall St and Haworth St where it remained for over 120 years. The original building may have been located near to Phoenix but by 1908 the apparent 2 storey Accrington style brick building located on the corner of Newall St and Howarth St probably been built (picture earlier). The Company developed to become an important supplier of large turned items for various industries. The interior (pictured bottom left), which spread across the original brick building (picture earlier) and adjacent machine shop building (pictured bottom - middle) included a wide range of of machines including modern lathes inside cabinets plus modern overhead crane. Note - a much earlier overhead crane was revealed during demolition in 2020. The adjacent machine shop building (pictured bottom - middle) was constructed during the early 1930s and included extensive areas of glazing, much being later covered by steel cladding. Around 1960 many smaller buildings along Howarth Street were replaced by a modern accommodation block (picture bottom right).. Elsewhere on the site there were still some miscellaneous building remained in 1960 but they had largely been cleared by the mid-1980s. Over the years the ownership changed on a number of occasions with the last owner of the Littleborough site, Ron Dalton ultimately determined the works in the town were no loner suitable for the current workload and thus moved the business to newer premises in Royton. The whole site, including the buildings illustrated, was cleared and is now covered with houses. .
Schofield Foundry, Durn
Schofield foundry was set up around 1851 by Joseph and Benjamin Schofield but but in that year the London Gazette announced that the Partnership of Joseph and Benjamin Schofield carrying on business as Fustian Manufacturers and Iron Founders was dissolved owing to the retirement of Benjamin Schofield and will in future be carried on by Joseph Schofield who will cover the payment of all debts – dated 2nd June 1851. The 1852 Trade Directory thus shows the Foundry under Joseph Schofield & Co.
Over the years, adverts for workers have provided an illustration of the tasks involved, Bench & Floor Moulders, Furnace Tenter, Loam (Core) Moulder, Core makers for engine work, pipes and rollers. In the early 1860s the foundry made the cast Iron Columns for the nearby Law’s Durn Mill and probably other mill buildings besides possibly Albion Mill c1866/7. It is believed that the Schofield family involvement ceased around 1939 with the Foundry closing around 1955
For English Heritage's Website which includes Aerial Photos see
For more detail on the foundry see Industrial History Booklet No 3 by Bernard Pratt
