▁of ▁former ▁cot ton ▁mill s ▁on ▁land ▁between ▁Jersey ▁Street ▁and ▁the ▁Ro ch dale ▁Canal ▁in ▁the ▁district ▁of ▁An co ats , ▁Manchester , ▁England . ▁The ▁mill s ▁were ▁built ▁for ▁brothers ▁Adam ▁and ▁George ▁Murray . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁mill ▁on ▁the ▁site , ▁Old ▁Mill , ▁was ▁begun ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁urban ▁steam - power ed ▁cot ton ▁spin ning ▁factory . ▁After ▁Old ▁Mill ▁opened , ▁the ▁company ▁continued ▁to ▁expand ▁and ▁prosper , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁the ▁complex ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁employ ing ▁about ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁at ▁its ▁peak : ▁De cker ▁Mill ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 2 , ▁New ▁Mill ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 , ▁Little ▁Mill ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 , ▁and ▁Dou bling ▁and ▁Fire proof ▁Mill ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 . ▁The ▁main ▁complex ▁formed ▁a ▁quad rangle ▁surrounding ▁a ▁private ▁canal ▁bas in ▁linked ▁under ▁the ▁road ▁to ▁the ▁Ro ch dale ▁Canal , ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 . ▁The ▁canal ▁bas in ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁deliver ▁raw ▁cot ton ▁and ▁coal ▁and ▁to ▁transport ▁sp un ▁cot ton ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁complex . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁A & G ▁Murray ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Fine ▁Cot ton ▁Sp inners ' ▁and ▁Dou bl ers '