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Murrays' Mill
Ancoats, Manchester
Client: Ancoats Building Preservation Trust
Architect: Building Design Partnership
Structural Engineer: Building Design Partnership
Services Engineer: Faber Maunsell
Quantity Surveyor: Appleyard & Trew
Project Manager: GTMS
Value: £10 million
Wates started the restoration of the 150,000sq.ft. grade II star listed Victorian Mill in September 2004. The Murrays' Mills complex was developed between 1798 and 1806 as cotton spinning mills and are the earliest remaining examples in Manchester, and one of the first purpose built industrial complexes in the world. It was in use as a mill during the “Rag Trade” until the 1970s, but had fallen into disrepair until work was started by Wates. The complex surrounds an enclosed canal basin used for loading materials and goods, linked via a tunnel to the Rochdale Canal. The mills were short-listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, and Wates task is to structurally reinforce and sympathetically restore them to allow the building to regain its place as the "centrepiece" of the Ancoats Village conservation area.
Wates worked in collaboration with the design team prior to starting on-site, providing practical knowledge on listed building restoration and input from our specialist Supply Chain to ensure the project is delivered within budget.
Contained on all sides by narrow streets there is very limited storage space in the central courtyard. Careful planning ahead and just-in-time deliveries overcome potential log jams and maintain good site progress.