Hodge Lane Dye Vats 2024

Dating from the late 18th century, this series of large stone vats or baths were part of the Hodge textile works, probably the earliest known textile site in Tameside. Each one of the baths was made from giant stone slabs joined together by iron stays, and they were about 6ft deep. Grey cloth would have been bleached with lime to make it white, and then laid out in the field to dry.