At meeting of full council on Wednesday, February 21, members gave approval to proceed with proposals which will help meet the unprecedented financial challenges facing the authority. This included proposals to end the council’s lease at Thwaite Watermill, which has been subject to public consultation.

Whilst the final decision has not yet been taken to surrender the lease, Thwaite Watermill will provisionally close to the public as a Leeds Museums and Galleries attraction from April 1.

Visit information

Opening hours

Mon – Fri: closed (open 10am-4pm during the school holidays)

Sat – Sun: 12 – 4pm

Last admission at 3pm

Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday (30 and 31 Mar): normal hours

Access information

We aim to provide a friendly, accessible environment for all our visitors and the widest possible access to our buildings, exhibitions and collections.

What3Words

What3Words is a location app which provides exact location points based on 3 metre squares. Every 3 metre square of the world has been given a unique combination of three words which can be shared with friends and family, emergency services and more to pinpoint locations easily.

We have provided What3Words locations for key areas of our attractions to help you navigate your visit.

Carers

Entry to the museum is free of charge for carers.

How to find and enter Thwaite Watermill

Situated on the outskirts of Leeds, Thwaite Watermill is approximately 3 miles from Leeds city centre.

Access to Thwaite Watermill is via Thwaite Lane, off the A639 or ½ a mile from Junction 7 of the M621. Thwaite Lane is about 0.5 miles long with a hill up to the bridge about 300 yards along it.

Entrances

The entrance door to the visitor centre and shop is a push door and has a wide clearing space.

What3Words

Thwaite Watermill: ///tides.wooden.editor

Disabled parking

Disabled parking bays and drop off points are available directly outside the entrance. A member of staff will meet you at the entrance gate when you arrive. Please note that this is a cobbled pathway.

There is additional, unmarked parking along Thwaite Lane, about 100 yards from the entrance to Thwaite Watermill.

Blind and partially sighted visitors

A large proportion of Thwaite Watermill is fully accessible. Some things to note are that:

  • there is ramped access to the Mill’s dipping pond
  • as the Watermill is situated on the Aire and Calder Navigation the grounds can get very wet and boggy

Guide and assistance dogs are welcome and we can provide dog bowls on request.

Visitors with physical disabilities and wheelchair users

A large proportion of Thwaite Watermill is fully accessible.

Some things to note are that:

  • there is an external single chair lift to the entrance of the Mill Manager’s House
  • wheelchair access to the upper floor display areas of the building is via a lift. The lift has capacity for one manual wheelchair on any journey and the turning space on the upper floor is very limited
  • seating is available in most spaces and in the grounds
  • there is ramped access to the Mill’s dipping pond
  • as the Watermill is situated on the Aire and Calder Navigation the grounds can get very wet and boggy

Accessible toilets

There is an accessible toilet in the visitor centre. Facilities in the accessible toilets include emergency alarms and fire alarm with a flashing light. These toilets are not RADAR key operated.

Baby change

There are baby changing facilities in the accessible toilet in the visitor centre.

Special Educational Needs and Access

Please visit our dedicated Special Educational Needs and Access page for more information about how we try to make Thwaite Watermill inclusive and accessible for people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Group access provision

Tailored handling sessions or tours on a specific interest area can be organised for groups.

If a member or members of your group require specific access provision, please contact us ahead of your visit.

VAQAS

Thwaite Watermill is a member of the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS). The VAQAS is a scheme which ensures high quality experiences at tourist attractions, including a commitment to respect the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 by making reasonable adjustments to improve service for disabled people.

Contact us

If you need more information before your visit, please contact us:

Phone

0113 378 2983
(10am - 4pm)

Email

Post

Thwaite Watermill
Thwaite Lane
Stourton
Leeds LS10 1RP

School term-time visits

During Leeds Education authority’s school terms all visits to Thwaite Watermill are tour led or workshop or event focused. We are open during the school holidays for individual visits and can offer tours when staffing levels allow.

Admission prices

Ticket TypeGeneral AdmissionLeeds CardBreeze Pass
Adult£5.80£4.75
Child£3.15£2.65
Family£13.20£11.00
Under 3sFreeN/A
Groups
(Pre-booked groups of 10 or more)
£4.75N/A
  • TICKET TYPE & PRICE
  • Adult
    General Admission £5.50 Leeds Card £4.50
  • Child
    General Admission £3.00 Breeze Pass £2.50
  • Family
    General Admission £12.50 Leeds Card £10.50
  • Under 3s
    General Admission – Free
  • Groups (Pre-booked groups of 10 or more) General Admission £4.50 Leeds Card N/A

Admission to Thwaite Watermill free to the following people, organisations, and participating members:

  • Refugees and Asylum Seekers
  • Leeds Art Fund
  • Friends of Leeds Museums
  • Max Card holders (Max card holder and 1 adult)
  • Museums Association
  • National Museum Directors Council
  • National Art Fund
  • ICOM

How to get here

Rail

The nearest train station is Leeds, located 2.5 miles away.

Bus

Bus number 110 runs from Leeds bus station and stops a short walk away from the site.

Parking

Thwaite Watermill is close to the M1, junction 43 from the South and junction 44 from the North. There is free parking available, with disabled parking by the entrance.

Assistance videos

Orientation film


Find out what to expect from a visit to Thwaite Watermill

Question setting


A short film that sets a question for schools or groups ahead of a visit

Answer setting


A short film that schools or groups can watch after the visit to reflect