The Turner Brothers Asbestos factory in Rochdale was one of the most important sites in the development of the British asbestos industry. The works were located in the Spodden Valley, just north-west of Rochdale town centre, on land that had previously been used for cotton manufacturing.
In 1871, brothers John, Robert and Samuel Turner established Turner Brothers. Originally, the company produced cotton-based packing materials used to seal machinery. However, in 1879, the company began weaving asbestos into cloth using powered machinery, becoming one of the pioneers of asbestos manufacturing in Britain. Over the following decades, the works expanded considerably, producing asbestos yarn, cloth, cordage, packing materials and insulation products.
In 1920, Turner Brothers merged with several other companies to form Turner & Newall, which became one of the world's major asbestos manufacturers. The Rochdale factory grew into a huge industrial complex and an important local employer. By 1970, production reportedly included around 2.25 million yards of asbestos cloth and 5.5 million miles of asbestos yarn each year.
The factory also has an important place in the history of occupational disease. Nellie Kershaw, who worked at the Rochdale works, died in 1924 aged just 33 after developing asbestos-related disease. Her case is widely recognised as one of the earliest documented cases of pulmonary asbestosis and became an important milestone in understanding the dangers of asbestos exposure.
As medical evidence about asbestos became increasingly clear during the twentieth century, the industry's fortunes declined. Asbestos production eventually ended at the Rochdale works during the 1990s. Turner & Newall was acquired by Federal-Mogul in 1998, but following financial difficulties the site was abandoned in the early 2000s. The remaining tenants had left by 2008.
The derelict factory subsequently became the centre of a major controversy over the potential redevelopment of the Spodden Valley and concerns about asbestos contamination. Fires, vandalism and demolition further damaged the former works. Rochdale Council undertook environmental investigations and air monitoring between 2015 and 2017.
Today, the approximately 30-hectare site remains privately owned. Its owners have begun referring to the area as Spodden Park, with proposals for its future redevelopment. Despite its uncertain future, the former Turner Brothers site remains an important part of Rochdale's industrial heritage and a significant location in the history of asbestos manufacture and occupational health.
