A PART of Radcliffe's industrial heritage has been preserved now that the East Lancashire Paper Mill (ELPM) gates have been officially rehomed.

During a special dedication on Saturday afternoon, the gates and pillars which previously formed the entrance to the mill off Rectory Lane, were reopened in Festival Gardens.

More than 200 people gathered to mark the occasion, hearing from key influencers in the process and sharing stories past and present about East Lancashire Paper Mill Company Ltd.

Founded by the Seddon family in March 1860 along the banks of the River Irwell, the mill was once the largest employer in the Radcliffe area, with a workforce of more than 1,200 people at its height.

David Kerwin, whose family history at the mill spans some 350 years of employment, has been working with Bury Council and the Rotary Club of Radcliffe for about five years to have the gates reinstated.

Mr Kerwin, chairman of Radcliffe Heritage Society, said: "This is a wonderful tribute to the ELPM past and present.

"Some five years ago, I decided to take a drive by the mill to see what it looked like today, only to be surprised to find the gates still standing and looking so sad and lonely.

"I decided we had to find them a good home, and it is very special to see that dream come to fruition today."

The ELPM plant produced coloured papers and lining papers and was a purchaser of various grades of recovered material including mixed paper and coloured grades.

Former director of operations, Terry Coffey, travelled from Lincoln to attend the unveiling on Saturday.

He said: "The seven years I worked at the mill were among the most memorable years of my life.

"I would like to thank Bury Council for the vision they had at the time of my arrival in Radcliffe, when they had a system of offering temporary rented accommodation for people like me for six-month period. That was, in my view, investing in people.

"I would like to thank the Rotary Club of Radcliffe who I know have featured significantly in the project.

"I would like to thank to people of Radcliffe in general and those whom I had the privilege of working with in the mill in particular.

"Finally, thank you to Radcliffe Heritage Society for all their hard work, the culmination of which is the preservation of the ELPM gates in such a beautiful setting, and, most importantly, dedicating this real piece of Radcliffe's history to the people of Radcliffe."

The Rotary Club of Radcliffe has helped to fund the installation, and Rotarian Ian Holt is one of those who has been calling for the move since the mill shut its doors.

Mr Holt previously said: “I feel a sense of pride about this monument going up in the gardens. Thousands of people passed through those gates over the decades.

“I have heard it said that the East Lancashire Paper Mill was one of the rocks that Radcliffe was built on.”

President Ken Kerr said: "Ian, who worked at the mill, kept saying we have got to get those gates and pillars into Festival Gardens, this is part of Radcliffe's heritage, we must not lose it. He was one of the key shakers and movers.

"This is a celebration of all things Radcliffe. Everyone here has a story to tell about themselves or their parents in connection with the mill. There was a family atmosphere there which is part of the reason why people were so sad to see it go.

"It was at the heart of this community."

As a lasting legacy, the mill gates were moved to Festival Gardens in May 2018 by Bury Council.

Cllr Catherine Preston said: "Bury's parks and gardens team has done a marvellous job of planting flowers, and keeping them looking so beautiful despite the lack of rain.

"I wanted to make sure that as many people turned out today as possible and it has been absolutely wonderful."