Temple Mill, Leeds
Temple Mill, Marshall Street, Holbeck, Leeds. Marshall and Co
Built in 1840 by Bonomi and David Roberts for John Marshall. David Roberts actually went off to the Temple of Karnak on the Nile to learn Egyptian Flax working, and returned to build the Temple Mill for John Marshall. Cast iron columns held up the ceiling and doubled as drain pipes. The ceiling itself had large domed skylights. The design of the building had a destinctly Egyptian feel and even the original chimney was an Egyptian Obelisk! Sadly this cracked and had to be replaced by a more conventional Victorian stack.
When John Marshall died, his flax business went into decline and ceased trading altogether in 1886.
Temple Works was based on the Temple of Edfu at Horus in Egypt, with a chimney designed in the style of an obelisk; at the time, it was said to be the largest single room in the world.
Employees at Temple Works worked 72 hours a week, 40% of the people employed by Marshall were young women aged thirteen to twenty, and about 20% were under thirteen. Conditions in the flax mills of that era were extremely hot and humid, humid conditions making the flax easier to work. Despite the age of his workers and the conditions in his factories, Marshall is considered to be one of the most liberal factory owners of the industrial revolution. In his factories, overseers were not allowed to use corporal punishment on the workers. [Source? This is the converse of the truth! Marshall's Mills were notorious for the cruel treatment of the young and female employees, at least until the introduction of the New Factories Act in 1844]. Younger children were encouraged to attend day school, and older children were given free education on Monday afternoons.
1842 'Marshall's Flax Mill at Leeds— The following particulars respecting this stupendous building have been furnished by an eye-witness, who has been permitted to inspect it a few weeks ago. The building is 132 yards long and 72 yards wide, (inside measure) —one story or 20 feet high. The roof consists of seventy-two brick arches, supported on seventy-two iron pillars of the Corinthian order, and secured together by strong iron work. The brick roof has a thick coating of composition, to prevent the water from coming through, and is covered with earth, from which has sprung up a beautiful grass close. There are sixty-six glass domes, 48 feet round, 11 feet 6 inches high, containing 10 tons of glass; all iron window frames. Total weight of roof, 4,000 tons. Cost, with the machinery, upwards of £200,000. There are four steam-engines, 100 horse power each ; and two 80 or 85 horse power each ; and one engine, 7 horse power, which does nothing but blow either hot or cold air into the room. The building covers more than two acres of ground ; it is supposed that 80,000 persons might stand in the room, 60,000 upon the roof, and 50,000 in the cellar.— Nottingham Review.'[1]
1842 'INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, Session of 1842.
Description of a Flax Mill at Leeds. — Area v. HEIGHT. — By James Combe, Assoc. Inst. C.E.—
The mill described in this communication consists of one room 396 feet long by 216i feet wide, covering nearly two acres of ground. The roof is formed of brick groined arches, 21 feet high by 36 feet span, upon cast-iron pillars : an impermeable covering of coal-tar and lime is laid on a coating of rough plaster over the arches, and upon that is a layer of earth, eight inches thick, sown with grass. This immense room is lighted and ventilated by a series of skylights, 13 feet 6 inches diameter ; one at the centre of each arch. A vaulted cellar with brick pillars extends under the whole of the building, and contains the shafts for communicating the motion from a pair of engines of 100-horse power, to the machinery in the mill ; the flues and steam-cases for warming and ventilating ; the revolving fan for urging the air into the room, with the gas and water pipes ; and the remainder of the space is appropriated for warehouses. The heating and ventilating are effected by a large fan, which forces the air through the pipes of two steam chests, each 10 feet long, and containing together 364 pipes, of 3¼ inches bore. The temperature can be regulated by the quantity of steam which is admitted into the chests, or by allowing a portion of cold air to pass by without traversing the pipes; valves and doors in the flues permit any temperature which is desired to be obtained, or that degree of moisture which is essential for some part of the process of working flax. The general details of the construction of the building are given, with the dimensions of the brick and stone work, the cast-iron pillars and caps, the wrought-iron tie bars, with the reasons for adding a second set after the accident occurred to the first set, the mode of drainage from the roof, and the striking the centres of the arches, &c. The total cost of the mill, including the ornamental stone front, was £27,443, which is stated to be about the same cost as that of a good fire-proof mill on the common plan ; but as this mode of construction was novel to the workmen, it is probable that a second building of the kind would be less expensive. The ad vantages resulting from the plan are, convenience of supervision, facility of access to the machines, the power of sustaining uniformity of temperature and moisture, the absence of currents of air which are so objectionable in other mills, the simplicity of the driving gear, and the excellent ventilation, which is so desirable for the health of the workpeople. The paper was illustrated by two drawings, with a sheet of reference; and an appendix contained the result of some experiments upon the strain on the tie-bolts, the pressure on the arches, and the de flection of the bolts, &c.
Mr. Smith was much pleased to find this description of building brought before the Institution, as he had been the first to adopt it, for a weaving shed of the extent of half an acre ; the columns for carrying the arches were 30 feet 6 inches apart, and the skylights were eight feet in diameter. Some of the arches were of brick, with stone springers ; others were entirely built with rubble stone, well grouted, which latter mode of construction he found succeeded quite as well as brick. The settlement of the arches on striking the centres, after standing four days, was only three-fourths of an inch. The arches were thickly plastered with common mortar, and at first were only covered with a coating of boiled coal-tar, pitch, and lime, three-eights of an inch thick ; but as the wet penetrated, the thickness of coal-tar pitch was in- creased to three-fourths of an inch, with a mixture of sharp sand, which had proved perfectly water-tight. For some months there was an appearance of moisture, which proceeded from the interior of the brick-work, as it could not escape outwards on account of the impermeable covering ; after some time the copious ventilation carried off this moisture, and the building became perfectly dry. Over the coal-tar a thickness of earth is laid, which is cultivated, and has proved a prolific garden: in severe weather the frost has not reached above 1½ inch deep in the soil, while it has penetrated to the extent of 12 inches in other situations. The construction of the floor is peculiar. It is desirable in such weaving sheds to have a boarded floor, to prevent the small parts of the machinery from being broken by falls, and also on account of the health of the persons employed ; but the vibration of an ordinary wood floor is objectionable. In order to meet these views, a bed of concrete was laid throughout the building, a series of small deal spars, 1½ inch deep by 1 inch wide, were set flush into the concrete whilst it was wet, and the whole surface was smooth plastered : upon this bed, when it was perfectly dry, a floor of boards, 1¼ inch thick, was nailed to the spars. It was found to combine the solidity of pavement with all the advantages of a wood floor ; and there had not been any symptoms of dry rot, which might be attributed to there being no cavities left beneath the boards, the whole being firmly bedded down. The ventilation was effected by tunnels beneath the floor, the covers of which were pierced with a number of small holes, to spread the air. The warming was accomplished by means of hot water, circulating under the pressure of the atmosphere only, in " tubes of tin plate," 4 inches diameter ; the temperature was very regular, and perfectly under control. With one ton of coal per week the shed could be kept up to 70 degrees during the winter. The cost of this building was 30s. per square yard of area covered, which was less than the cost of Messrs. Marshall's mill, but building materials were much cheaper at Deanston than at Leeds. He expected that this mode of building would become more general, as it combined many advantages ; and whatever might be the first outlay in purchasing ground, the cost of which was the only inducement for constructing buildings of several stories in height, it would be fully compensated by the facility of superintendence alone, as in manufactories this was of the utmost importance. These buildings would, he believed, be eventually used for agricultural purposes, and when engineering knowledge was more directed to the processes of agriculture good results might be anticipated : his attention had been particularly directed to the subject, and he was convinced of the necessity of concentrated superintendence, which is not at present possible in the separate farm steadings as they are now constructed. This might be apparently foreign to the subject before the meeting, but the range of engineering was so wide that it was difficult to say where it should stop.
Mr. Lindsay Carnegie, as a landed proprietor, could bear testimony to the importance of the connection of engineering with agriculture, and to the advantages already derived from the improvements which had been introduced by Mr. Smith, who might be justly termed the father of the improved system of agriculture in Scotland.
Mr. Marshall explained that he was indebted to Mr. Smith for the suggestion of this mode of construction, which he had not hesitated to adopt, although all the plans had been prepared for mills of several stories in height : he had been convinced of the superiority of the present plan, and his expectations had been fully realised. There were, of course, some difficulties to be overcome, and some experiments to try, all of which had not been successful, but in all the essential points this kind of building was superior to any other. An equality of temperature, and a facility of imparting a certain degree of moisture to the air, which was indispensable for spinning yarn, had been perfectly attained.
Mr. Braithwaite inquired whether the arches were found to be perfectly water-tight ? On some of the railways which were laid upon arches it had been found that asphalte had failed in rendering them impervious, and they were consequently useless even for storehouses.
Mr. Marshall explained that a few leaks had occurred, particularly near the skylight frames, but they had been easily repaired, and were now water-tight.
Mr. Combe found that a mixture of finely-sifted engine ashes with the coal-tar pitch was better than lime. The depth of soil above the arches should be sufficient to prevent the heat of the sun from penetrating through the cracks to the pitch, and forcing it up. He had recently examined the roof carefully, and could only discover six indications of moisture penetrating ; these had been easily repaired, and all was now perfectly sound.
Mr. Field agreed with Mr. Smith in his estimation of the advantages of carrying on all manufacturing processes as much as possible under one roof, and on one floor; great economy of time and labour would result, especially where heavy masses, such as parts of machinery, required to be moved about. He would always adopt the system in constructing a manufactory.
Mr. Smith observed that an arched roof would be found as cheap as one of wood and slates, and in the relative durability there could be no comparison.
Mr. Marshall desired it to be borne in mind that the cut stone front of the mill had greatly enhanced the cost ; and that being the first building of the kind erected in the neighbourhood of Leeds, it has naturally been more expensive than others would be.’[2]
1840 Beam Engine
The Egyptian theme even extended to the mill's steam engine(s). Built by Benjamin Hick and Sons, it was a double beam engine driving the machinery through one geared flywheel of 26 ft diameter. Two 54" cylinders, 5 ft stroke, 15 psi, 19 rpm. A fine model of the engine is displayed in the London Science Museum.
Note: An architecturally similar but somewhat more restrained 'Egyptian themed' engine by Hick, Hargreaves and Co may be seen, partly reconstructed, at Armley Mill Museum