Withington Cotton House

Withington Cotton House (later known as Withington Hall) was a building on Cotton Lane, Withington in Manchester, England. Little is known about Withington Cotton House, as there appears to be little or no record of the house, apart from in maps of the area c1850. Indeed some historians dispute its existence, but the evidence in maps and the existence of a farm opposite the house known as "Mill House" Farm, does imply that cotton was processed at the house.

Farming and cottage industries have dominated Withington throughout its history. It was not until the Industrial Revolution fuelled population explosion in Manchester, which led to many of the more wealthy householders moving to escape the growing "slum" areas of Manchester, that Withington changed notably. Large houses and cottages - such as Oak Bank, Withington Lodge, and Grove House - straddled Wilmslow Road and Burton Road throughout the town. The Cotton House however, must have been substantial enough to record in a map, but as it probably pre-dates the Industrial Revolution it cannot be thought of as a cotton mill.

The main entrance to the house appears to be on Cotton Lane, close to where the Cotton Tree pub is today. There appears to be a small coach house, and substantial grounds to its rear and bordering Cotton Lane up to Wilmslow Road. Cotton Lane extends to Pithy Fold Farm (earlier Pithy Green), and co-township owned land - basically co-owned between Withington and Didsbury - which some historians claim Cotton Lane takes its name from rather than the Cotton House.

Whatever trade in cotton took place at the house, this appears to have ended by the turn of the century. From this moment on the house becomes known as Withington Hall. Little is known about Withington Hall either, although there is still reference to it today in the name of the flats where Withington Hall used to be. There is also a picture in existence of Withington Hall, which is unlikely to have changed from its Cotton House days, and can be found at the Manchester City Council Image Collection.

Although little evidence of Withington Cotton House (or Hall) remains today, the grounds can still be roughly mapped out today. They originally extended from the Cotton Tree pub - although not present at the time - to Wilmslow Road, and as far south as Oak Road, although some of this land appears to have been sacrificed by the end of the 1800s with the creation of Kinnaird and Rathen Road. Withington hall itself was eventually sold, probably during the World Wars, after Withington had become part of Manchester and when much of the green land of Withington was developed in to the housing and streets we see today.

The Cotton House grounds escaped relatively unscathed, save the Withington Hall flats, until recent times. "Black Valley", as it was sometimes locally called, were essentially the old grounds of the house, including the social club and tennis courts that have now been developed in to car parking space. The only surviving parts of the grounds today, are between the car park and the large wall on Cotton Lane, where the trees and some large stones are fabled to be the only relics of the Cotton House grounds.

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