Oswaldtwistle is one of those northern towns like Slaithwaite (Slawit) and Barnoldswick (Barlick) that is not pronounced as it is spelt. Locally it is pronounced ‘Ozuldtwissle’ or just ‘Ozzy’ if you’re really local. Actually, it’s not really a town, it’s more a suburb of Accrington (which is pronounced as it is spelt, although generally abbreviated to Accy).

There were a good number of mills in the area but while most have gone one or two survive. Sat at the end of the appropriately named Mill Street is Stonebridge Mill. There’s not much online about it other than the fact that there’s been multiple fires on the site, and it appears only partially occupied but mostly empty / derelict.

I went on a weekend so the gates were shut, so just had a mooch round the outside to try and observe it in it’s local environment. The place is largely intact, with it’s chimney crumbling away at the side of the site and that appears to be the only brick structure in the place. It is sat on a stone base so I do wonder whether the original was replaced at some point.

Being stone built, I’m guessing that this was an earlier mill, although there is a mix of stone and brick built mills in the area. It’s not an exact science, but the further east you go in Lancashire the more stone built mills there are.