THEY were known as the ‘dark Satanic mills’ — and were the engine of the original Northern Powerhouse.

Today they are a symbol of Bolton’s and the north’s heritage, story and character.

Now Bolton has been highlighted in a report for the way it has preserved its historic mills, as the textile mills in the region disappear — despite ‘massive public support against demolition’.

Holden Mill, a Grade II listed building in Blackburn Road, has been held up by Historic England as an example of how such historic buildings can be preserved. The mill built in 1926 has been converted to 275 apartments named The Cottonworks.

However in September the go-ahead was given to demolish the historic Grade II listed Beehive Mills in Great Lever, dating back to 1895 and 1902, to make way for houses.

Almost half of mills across Greater Manchester alone have been lost since the 1980s; Bolton has seen 50 (35 per cent) textile mills demolished across the borough in that time. Salford has lost 66 per cent and Bradford has seen more than 100 fires at historic mills since 2010, said Historic England.

PJ Livesey, which specialises in refurbishing fine period buildings has also contributed to the preservation of historic mills in the borough. They first transformed Bolton’s old cotton mill, Eagley Mill into apartments. Following its success, the company then spent six years converting Holden Mills.

Director, Georgina Livesey said: “The future when working with historic buildings cannot be easily planned out, especially in relationship to time and costs. Historic buildings are secretive in many ways and it takes time to unravel their complexities.”

Most recently in Bolton, Empire Property Holdings has begun the transformation of a derelict island of mill buildings, the Globe Works site in Lower Bridgeman Street, into 124 Manhattan loft-style apartments.

The dark “Satanic” mills made famous in William Blake’s poem Jerusalem, were the original “Northern Powerhouse”, which made England the workshop of the world during the Industrial Revolution.

They came to define the North’s urban landscape, but hundreds have gone and hundreds more stand derelict and neglected across the North West and Yorkshire.

A survey found 90 per cent of those who took part believe mills are an important part of the nation’s heritage, story and character.

And 85 per cent said they do not want to see them demolished or replaced, in the poll of 2028 adults by YouGov for Historic England, which is calling on public support to urge owners and developers to recognise the potential historic mills can offer for conversion instead of demolition.

Catherine Dewar, Historic England’s planning director in the North West said: “With their ability to accommodate wonderful homes, workplaces and cultural spaces, our historic mill buildings deserve a future and should not be destroyed.

“They helped make us who we are in the north of England and have a profound impact on the physical and cultural landscape.

“Mills have so much to offer in terms of space, character and identity.

“By shining a light on successful regeneration projects, we hope to inspire others to recognise the potential of our former industrial buildings and start a conversation about their future.”

Historic England’s report estimates there is 1,996,597 square metres of vacant floor space in textile mills across Greater Manchester and Lancashire — equivalent to 25,000 new homes.

Across Greater Manchester alone, there are still 540 mills, with some having been converted into work spaces and homes.

As well as Holden Mill other successful scheme Castleton Mills in Leeds, a former flax mill built in 1836, now renovated to house offices and studios and Holmes Mill in Clitheroe, Lancs, dating back to 1823, transformed into an entertainment venue for music, weddings and corporate functions.

Historic England said it recognised there was a funding gap to make the conversion financially viable at Beehive Mills.