The plan, according to the owners, is to rebuild once upper floors are demolished
Demolition work has begun at a mill in Middleton after a catastrophic fire savaged the historic site over the weekend. Firefighters began tackling the enormous blaze at Lodge Mill on Townley Street in the town just before 6am on Sunday (March 29).
Videos of the scene showed towering flames engulfing the building and ripping through the roof. People living nearby reported hearing a series of loud bangs and explosions as the refurbished site crumbled.
The former silk and cotton mill, which dates back to around 1850 and is thought to be the oldest mill in Middleton, suffered another fire in 2021 which engulfed the back part of the building.
The building fell into disrepair in the early-2000s and lay derelict until Martin Cove and Paula Hickey bought the front mill in a bid to restore it. The part of the site that remained intact had been refurbished as an events space and picturesque ice-cream parlour serving locally-made ice cream, next to the River Irk.
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The Ice Cream Shop at Lodge was run by locals Martin and Paula who spent a number of years renovating the site. They said the two top storeys of the mill were set to be completely reduced to rubble, but that the plan is to rebuild on what is left.
Several other businesses were also based on the ground floor, including a children’s dance studio, an ice cream parlour, a tea room, a dog chiropractor business and the Engine House event space, which held weddings, functions and parties and is run by Martin and Paula.
Speaking to the M.E.N, Martin said he believes the Engine House – a venue space with a licensed bar – has possibly avoided major damage, adding that he and Paula were left ‘shell-shocked’ by the incident.
“We are down, but we are not out,” he said. “The position at the moment seems to be that the Engine House has avoided fire damage from the mill, so we might be able to get that back up and running.
“But the mill itself – demolition is due to start tomorrow. They are going to take the top two storeys off, so it’s the same height as the Engine House and what is left of the back mill – the other part of the mill that burnt down years ago.
“This is not going to beat us. We have had too much support and help from the local community for this to beat us. The plan is to rebuild – get it down to two storeys then we will look at putting a roof on top of it.
“We are determined to carry on. The help and support we have had over the last seven years has been immense. We will not give up. We are down but we are not out.”
Pictures taken on Tuesday (March 31) showed the demolition work beginning at the site. The area was fenced off as diggers and machinery were seen pulling down exposed bricks from the upper floors.
It is not known exactly how much of the fire-ravaged site will be demolished. Rochdale Borough Council has been approached for details by the Manchester Evening News.
In an update on Monday, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Fire crews remain in attendance at Lodge Mill in Middleton today, Monday, where they have been tackling a blaze that began shortly before 6am on Sunday 29 March.
“The incident is now scaling down with crews continuing to dampen down hot spots. Road closures remain in place and residents are advised to avoid the area.”
A council spokesperson said: “We are working with the owners of the building and the demolition contractor to make the structure safe before a full building assessment is carried out.”
