The Birtle Brook Retirement Village, Bury
Industry and Innovation In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, the
a fishing lake, a crown bowling green and a pavilion
new mills used water power to drive machinery and
building which also houses the bistro that is open to all.
consequently they were sited in valleys adjacent to
The new cottages face up the slope towards the dam
rivers. One such example is Birtle Mill, originally built
with their backs to the original wall of the mill that fronts
for ‘bleaching and finishing’. It is located between
the road.
Bury and Rochdale towards the hamlet within a conservation area which has a strict green belt
The development to the east of the road is nearing
regulation. No longer used for its original purpose,
completion. It is entered from a small forecourt and
the site and its neglected buildings were purchased
a gateway in an existing building. Once through the
by Pinnacle Living in 2005, with the express purpose
gateway, there is a large courtyard, surrounded on three
of creating a retirement village made up of properties
sides by cottages, some of which are single-aspect
to rent for tenants aged fifty-five and over.
buildings.
Brent Miller, Chairman of Pinnacle Living, was an
The cottages have been built from a mixture of brick
experienced hand in the contracting business and
and stone. The stone was quarried locally and is used
he was confident he could create an outstanding
for buildings that have been added to the plan whilst
development on the site. He turned to Paul Clark of
brick is used on the buildings set on the original lines
C.J.Architects, a well-established Rochdale practice,
of the mill.
to help him in the process of rejuvenating the historic site. Paul immediately saw the potential of the existing
The design of the brick elevations is interesting. A terrace
buildings as a framework around which Brent’s vision for
of cottages is expressed as a number of openings within
the site could be delivered.
a large brick wall. The openings are contained within a stone surround, but they are subservient to the brick
Over the years, the mill had expanded to include both
wall which, notionally, is the original wall of the mill.
sides of the Birtle Road. To the west above the mill, the
The head of the wall finishes as a parapet, the strong
best way to appreciate the scope of the site is to climb to
horizontal coping emphasising the primary importance
the top of the dam and look eastwards down the valley.
of the brickwork. This theme is consistent throughout
The regeneration of the site is impressive. In the space
the development and provides the project with much of
between the dam and before the buildings there is now
its continuity.
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