13 fascinating pictures show Talbot Mill's amazing transformation from derelict cotton factory to luxury homes

Talbot Mill in Castlefield is being transformed into luxury apartments as part of a major development by Capital & Centric.

The 175-year-old building once housed one of Manchester’s biggest cotton spinning operations. But since the decline of the industry, the building has had a mixed history – from becoming a hydroponic mushroom farm for a decade in the eighties to an artist’s studio for Liam Curtin, whose ceramic tiles are dotted around the Northern Quarter.

Now, after years of standing empty, it’ll become Castlefield’s first major regeneration project. Plans to turn the former mill into an Ancoats-style apartment building with a residents’-only lounge and gym area are nearing completion.

A peak inside the once run-down structure reveals spacious floors with high, rounded ceilings and stripped-back brickwork. Some original features such as fireplaces and machinery fittings on the wall will be kept, with each floor due to be split into around 11 apartments.

The mill has also been extended, with an extra floor built on top and a new building flanking the existing structure. There are plans for around 190 new apartments in total, alongside amenities and a courtyard garden.

The two-year project is due to be completed by May 2026, according to a Capital & Centric spokesperson.

Speaking to the LDRS at a topping out ceremony in Castlefield, Capital & Centric director Tim Heatley said: “Today marks the restoration and conversion of a building that’s one of the last big mills in Manchester to be developed and brought back to life. So much of our industrial and cultural history is represented by these beautiful big old mill buildings.

“And because there’s not many left, and they’re often at risk of disappearing completely, as we’ve seen with the Hotspur Press, it’s really important that we are able to adapt and reuse them.”