virtual views
Ingersley Vale Mill
The most complete remaining mill in the project area, Ingersley Vale Mill dates back to 1792. A reservoir was built in about 1803 to supply water via a leat on the hillside and the channel over the road seen in the initial view. The water drove two separate water wheels, which were replaced in the mid 19th century by a single wheel, believed at the time to be the largest in the country. The mill burned down in 1819, but was rebuilt and working again within two years.
Originally a cotton mill, Ingersley Vale became a calico printers in 1848, and a bleach works thirty years later. Since 1929, its roles have included pasteboard and tape manufacturing, dyeing and printing. Fire tore through the mill again in 1999, since when it has been the subject of a number of development proposals, none of them, so far, successful.