This street was at the centre of Denton's hat manufacturing industry and notable companies with premises in the street were Joseph Wilson & Sons, Victoria Works (P Robinson & Co and Marlor's Ltd, then Denton Hat Co), Wilde & Booth Ltd and H Burgess (Hats) Ltd. Companies associated with the hatting industry were Clayton & Webb (leather stretchers and printers), Bowker & Chadwick (leather dressers) and Wilton Iron Works, iron founders and machinists, (Henry and Peter Richardson). The latter was established in 1871 as an iron and brass foundry but it also carried out millwright work and made machines, especially for the hatting industry. Other features are detailed in the table below:

By 1881 Peter Richardson, co-founder of Wilton Iron Works with Henry Richardson, was resident on Marshall St, off Wilton St, with his wife, Ellen, and family and by 1891 they had moved to Ashton Rd. In 1890 he was a founder member of the Denton Reform Club, being one of seven committee members by 1893. At first, meetings were held at premises on Victoria St but they moved to new premises on the Bowden St corner of Manchester Rd in 1894. The club name was changed to Denton Liberal Club and Peter was the president in 1895. In 1889 he was described as a ‘frank, courteous gentleman, and much respected in the trade, as he is by all whom he meets in or out of business.’ Local trade directories describe Henry and Peter Richardson as hat machinery makers.

Wilton St was about 477-yards long, connecting Ashton Rd at its eastern end with Taylor Ln at its western end. It was named after the Earls of Wilton. There were four streets on its northern side, namely, Palatine St, Bright St, Marshall St and Dudley St and on its southern side there were three streets, namely, Peel St, Queen St (northern isolated section) and Prestwich St (formerly Dudley St).

In 2002/3 practically the whole of this area was demolished to make way for the Crown Point North Shopping Park with the following results:

• Wilton StDemolished except for a short section at its western end.
• Palatine StSouthern end was demolished.
• Bright StDemolished. This street was situated between No. 27 Wilton St and the gable end of Wilson’s Hat Factory. The 1901 census shows that by this time only five houses remained on the street. These were Nos 1, 3, 5 & 7 on the west side and No. 26 on the east side. They were all occupied by families engaged in hatting. By 1911 only Nos 1, 3, 5 & 7 were occupied.
• Marshall StDemolished.
• Dudley StDemolished.
• Peel StOnly the southern end of this street survives. The northern end was lost when the M67 motorway was built.
• Queen St (northern isolated section)Demolished.
• Prestwich St (formerly Dudley St)Demolished.

The northern ends of Peel St and Queen St were earlier affected by the construction of a vehicle turning circle on the southern side of Wilton St.

View looking down Wilton St from beside the Barcliff Cinema.

The large house on the right (No.11), on the corner of Palatine St, had a number of interesting residents connected with the hatting industry. In 1881, the widowed Maria Marlor was living there with a servant and her son, William, a hat manufacturer employing 47 people. Between 1891 and 1897, Thomas Thorley, a hat trimmings manufacturer, lived there. His works was on nearby Clare St. In 1901/03, Alfred Bevan, a hat manufacture who was born in Cape Town, South Africa, was living there. Between 1907 and 1912, Alfred Wilson, a director of Joseph Wilson & Sons Ltd, lived there. Wilson's hat factory was just a few doors away down Wilton St. Later, the house was the residence of Sidney Pitt, who was the second long-serving headmaster of the nearby Russell Scott Memorial School from 1924 onwards.

In 1901/03, No. 13 on the opposite corner of Palatine St was the residence of John Thomas Dingle, a bookkeeper at a hat works. In 1909, John Edward Higginbottom, a hatter, was living there and in 1911, John Etchells, a hat blocker, was living there.

Wilton St looking east, May 1999.
Dudley St is on the left and Prestwich St is opposite.

Laburnum Villa, 83 Wilton St.
Credit: J Marlor.

Further Reading
Middleton, Thomas, 1936. History of Denton and Haughton. Hamnett St, Hyde: J Andrew & Co Ltd.
Denton Local History Society, 2003. ”Hats off to Wilton Street”.