Top and Bottom Rows, Godley

Top & Bottom Rows were two similar rows of terraced houses, situated in the triangle consisting of Commercial Brow, Sheffield Rd (before it was cut short at St John's Church) and High Street, Godley. They were built for the mill workers in the nearby Godley Mill on Bottom Street. Godley Mill was said to have been built around 1784 by Thomas Turner.

The area around the mill and houses was subject to severe damage in 1906 during the "Great Flood". The 2 rows were demolished around the 1960's. Any other information about them would be greatly appreciated.

Bottom Row (Top Row in distance)

Top Row

Rear of Bottom Row

Flood damage on Sheffield Road, Bottom Row in distance

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Maps showing how The Rows evolved through the years. 

Tithe maps showing their existence in 1836-51 when They were owned by John Turner.

A map from 1875 shows they were known by slightly different names.
"Lower Mill Row" and "Higher Mill Row".

On this map from 1910 they are known as Top and Bottom Rows.

This aerial view from the 1970's shows they no longer exist.

This is the view today after the M67 motorway cut Hyde in half.

Cotton Mill Girls.

 This picture was sent to us by Dave.
It is of his Grandmother , Doris Higgins ,who worked at Aston Brothers.

Thanks Dave, great to hear from you ,as always.



You have a few pics of men at work in the cotton mills. 
Here is one of the girls at Ashton Brothers.  My grandmother, Doris Higgins, is centre front. She was a very clever woman and the teachers wanted her to stay on at school to train for teaching but necessity and her mother's mantra of "not getting above your station" condemned her to a life in the mill.  She started as a young girl of 12 and told us it was so and that every night she used to pray "Please God don't send morning, don't let it be morning".  What a sad prayer from a young girl.

Dave