Friths Mill, Bacup Road, built as a steam-pwered cotton mill, finished its days as a sanitary pipe works. The improvements and inventions of Hargreaves’ spinning jenny, Crompton’s mule, and later, Cartwright’s power loom caused a revolution from domestic trade to factory life. No longer needing water power, factories were built in the valley bottom. Cheap coal, brought in by canal, encouraged the use of steam engines. At least five steam engines were installed in Todmorden mills 1822 – 25, and Fielden Bros. used a 60 h.p. engine to power their weaving shed in 1829.
