In 1874, Frank Wilkinson started to built the original Anglo Scotian Mills on the site previous occupied by Felkins lace factory on a site on the east side of Butchers Lane (now Wollaton Road), and the north side of Albion Street. Wilkinson had, by then, begun to capture the world market for lace curtains and needed extra capacity to build on his already succesful enterprises in Chilwell. On 29th April 1886, however, a devastating fire which occured at the Mill, all but destroyed the building, stock and machinery - and the hundreds of jobs that they provided. Wilkinson was able to rebuild, only to face another fire in 1892 - following which he again rebuilt, this time in the grand style of the building which survives today.

The pictures on this page show the site on the day following the 1886 fire. Wilkinson appears to stand defiantly in the foreground.





Click to see more photographs of the fire

Thanks to Ernest Pollard for providing these photographs from his collection. The originals were used to promote a brand of office safe which, it was claimed, protected its contents through the fire.