Interesting Industrial Cotton Mill Component

Interesting cast iron piece which has lovely patina and would make a great desk decoration or a talking point. The pitting in the iron has some reddish/copper staining that hasn’t shown up very well in the photos but it really is very attractive.

I am not sure on its actual function or design purpose however….

The piece has ‘Stalybridge’ in the casting, the other word is not legible.

Stalybridge was a hub for production of cotton from the late 18th century century. It is likely that this item is part of a cotton mill or cotton weaving machine, my best guess is that it is a tensioner or guide for the belts that drove the machinery from above.

I could be completely wrong of course and I would love to hear what you think or know it is?….