Truth be told, they had an idea that it was there, but the University’s Archeology Unit director, Dr Mike Nevell says they needed specialist help to excavate it. | "It marks the beginning of the rise of Manchester as the world's first industrial city." | | Dr Mike Nevell on the importance of Arkwright's mill |
"The Archaeological Unit and the Manchester region Industrial Archaeology Society got together to invite Channel 4’s Time Team to come down to the city to rediscover Manchester's first textile mill." It was an irresistible offer for Tony Robinson and his team, chiefly because of the mill’s significance. "The mill is not only Manchester's first textile mill, built in 1781," Dr Nevell explains, "but also the site of the first attempts to power textile machinery by steam, which in this case failed. It was Richard Arkwright's last mill and biggest.
 | | Time Team's Phil Harding gets stuck in |
"It also marks the beginning of the rise of Manchester as the world's first industrial city; by 1800, there were around 50 mills in the city, making it the biggest factory town in the world." There’s no doubt that it is the world’s first either, as, in addition to the finds on the site, there is documentary and map evidence that, according to Dr Nevell, "make it clear that it was the first cotton mill in the city and it’s described as such in contemporary accounts from the 1780s." The cotton mill burnt down after it was hit by a bomb in World War Two and has been the site of a car park ever since. The excavations revealed the outline of the mill, its water wheel pit and the site of the steam engine.
 | | Tony Robinson on the dig |
There’s little doubt that it was the arrival of the popular archaeology programme that spurred the volunteers, including a team from Dig Manchester (the University’s project that gives local communities the opportunity to sample archaeology in their own area) and the academics on to find so much. Dr Nevell says it was "a lot of fun working with Time Team, who brought their usual enthusiasm and professionalism to the dig. And yes, it really is done in three days." Thankfully, the mill excavation didn’t stop when the cameras left, though the Dig Manchester team do have other sites in mind for investigation too. "The next project will be the continued excavation of the Northenden Corn mill site on the River Mersey which will happen in the summer," says Dr Nevell, "but we also hope to continue the work at Arkwright's mill later this year." To see the excavation , watch Time Team's Rubble at the mill: The birth of the Industrial Revolution in Manchester on Channel 4 on Sunday 5 February | 
