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  • Thwaite at 30

    Celebrating the past and present

    ONLINE EXHIBITION

    A black and white cat is sat by a maroon coloured wooden door, a plant pot and a red retro bike

Introduction

Since opening to the public in 1990, Thwaite Watermill has been a much loved place for people to learn about their shared past.

There has been a mill on the natural bend in the river at Thwaite for hundreds of years. Products produced there were varied and often surprising: from textiles to putty, via lubricants for sports cars and even food for local prisons!

Now a tranquil haven for wildlife and visitors alike, Thwaite Watermill has undergone many changes whilst remaining a constant presence to the community.

  • 1641

    The Fulling Mill

    A weir was constructed on a natural bend in the River Aire, creating a pond which could be diverted into a mill.

    The site’s first mill was used for ‘fulling’, a textiles process in which cloth is pounded in human urine and Fuller’s earth to clean and mat the fibres together.

  • 1823

    Dandy Row

    Due to their dilapidated state, the mill buildings were demolished and rebuilt at a cost of £15,678 (almost £1.9 million today).

    As well as a new mill, a workshop,  a warehouse, stables, workers’ cottages  (known as Dandy Row) and the mill tenants’ house were constructed by 1825.

  • 1825

    The Joy Family

    The Joy family arrived. They began ‘Edward Joy and Sons Ltd’, a company which produced lighting and lubricating ‘Filtrate’ oils by crushing rapeseed, linseed and other seeds. They apparently provided the oil for Stephenson’s Rocket – a very famous locomotive!

    They also crushed exotic wood from places such as South America to produce colour dyes for textile manufacture.

  • 1845

    The Joy’s Departure

    The Joy family left Thwaite Mill, but their company continued successfully for many years.

  • 1870

    Disrepair

    After the Joys, some other tenants spent a brief period at the mill, but eventually the site fell into disrepair again.

  • 1872

    The Horn Family

    The Horn family arrived and installed stone-crushing equipment.

    They crushed chalk, used in paint and pharmaceutical products, and china stone and flint, used by local potteries to make glaze (the shiny surface on pottery).

  • 1923

    Putty Production

    The Horns began putty production by mixing surplus whiting (crushed chalk) with linseed oil.

    Putty is used for glazing – sealing windows into their frames.

  • 1931

    The Raymond Mill

    The Raymond Mill was installed, speeding up the process of crushing chalk and replacing the water levigation system.

    This machine was originally used for pulverising coal. The Horns were the first to use a Raymond Mill in this way.

  • 1940-41

    The Blitz

    During the Blitz*, Thwaite Mill played a crucial role in supplying putty to bomb-damaged cities like London, where it was needed in the repair of shattered or cracked windows.

  • 1950

    Putty Production

    Putty production reached an estimate of 800 tons per year.

  • 1960s

    Putty Production Peak

    Putty became the mill’s sole output.

  • 1968

    Dandy Row Demolished

    Dandy Row, the set of workers’ cottages, was demolished to widen the navigation.

  • 1975

    Flood

    A flood on 29th January caused the weir to collapse, preventing water from entering the mill and turning the wheels.

  • 1976

    Mill Closure

    Final putty orders were completed using a Petter diesel engine and then the mill closed.

  • 1978

    Thwaite Mills Society

    The Thwaite Mills Society was formed. This was a group of volunteers who did not want to see the site go to waste and worked to restore it.

  • 1986

    Renovation

    As part of major restoration work, the weir was rebuilt in concrete and steel and the machinery and many buildings were renovated.

  • 1990

    Museum Opens

    Thwaite Watermill Museum opened to the public.

  • 2010

    Thwaite Mills Society Dispanded

    The Thwaite Mills Society completed its final project before disbanding; restoring the warehouse and drying sheds.

From Working Mill to Museum

Not long after the mill’s closure in 1976, efforts began to prevent it from falling into disrepair. In 1978 Thwaite Mills Society formed a group of volunteers who began a major building operation to restore the mill and its surroundings. The weir was rebuilt in concrete and steel and the machinery, buildings and water wheels were repaired and refurbished.

In 1990 Thwaite Watermill opened as a museum and now offers a range of special events, exhibits and activities. Visitors can experience the sights, sounds and smells of the virtually unchanged stone crushing works. Thwaite House has also been fully restored with period-themed rooms and a learning space where younger visitors can learn all about nature on the island. The site also includes a nature trail and play areas and is a popular location for weddings.

If you fancy learning a little bit more about the history of Thwaite Watermill, then check out this documentary film from 1990.

Thwaite Now

Thwaite Watermill continues to deliver an important service to local communities and industrial history enthusiasts amongst so many others! A much loved asset to Leeds, it boasts an eclectic events programme, eco friendly nature trail and impressive industrial private hire facilities, perfect for weddings and many other events. It’s also home to a much loved moggy, Milly the mill cat! Milly has famously patrolled the cobbled streets over the past ten years and is a firm favourite with visitors. Here’s a little snapshot of all the things which make Thwaite GREAT!

  • A photograph of Thwaite Watermill with a bright sky and large expanse of water to the front of the mill
  • The exterior of a mill building with a large old crane next to it and a bright but cloudy sky
  • The interior of a mill building with a working waterwheel in action
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Partnerships

The site has collaborated on a variety of projects with different community groups and organisations. This includes work with Leeds Arts University, Pyramid of Arts, Leeds Canal and River Trust, Leeds Sea Cadets and Safe Anchor Trust. For several years, Leeds Youth Justice Service have also worked alongside the team to preserve and enhance the visitor experience.

The unveiling of the sculpture by Pyramid of Arts in 2006.

Education and Events

It boasts an important education programme, offering students a hands-on, immersive experience, using museum objects, crafts, experiments and team work to learn about social history and science. During school holidays, there are crafts and experiments along with an events programme which includes the much loved Vintage Bus Day.

  • A little girl wearing a coat, winter hat and daisy chain looks at a plastic container in a garden surrounded by other children

Weddings

It’s also an award winning wedding destination. Voted one of the top wedding venues in Yorkshire, the industrial backdrop provides a a unique setting for celebrations. Couples can even arrive on a canal boat and take their vows in between the 19th century waterwheels amongst many other historical locations.

  • A happy couple are looking at each other whilst getting married a white brick mill building with bright bunting hung from the ceiling. They are surrounded by seated guests dressed in many bright colours and suits

Moorings

For several years, it has provided moorings for boats on the Aire and Calder Navigation. Visitors are able to view these on a stroll along the path by the orchard.

  • A view of the canal side from the garden of Thwaite Watermill including an old lamp post, green spaces and a brick outbuilding
  • Canal boats on the waterfront at Thwaite Watermill
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Steam Crane and Blacksmithing

On event days, Thwaite Watermill’s skilled engineer does live demonstrations of the steam crane lifting and blacksmithing, using the forge in the workshop. Some of his tiny masterpieces can be viewed in there too!

  • A man is showing off his skills in a blacksmith working. He is hammering an iron bar surrounded by blacksmiths equipment
  • A man is operating an old crane shrouded in steam
  • Some flowers have been crafted in a blacksmiths workshop
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Milly the Mill Cat

Milly the friendly resident mill cat is looked after by Thwaite Watermill’s super staff! She has been there for over ten years, originally arriving with four others from Cat’s Protection, brought in to keep down the rat population!  You will often find her curled up having a snooze in the warehouse or strolling about by the tailrace.

  • A black and white cat is sat by a maroon coloured wooden door, a plant pot and a red retro bike
  • A close up of a black and white cat with a black heart shaped marking on her nose
  • A staff member is stroking a black and white cat on a cobbled street at Thwaite Watermill
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Nature at Thwaite

Thwaite island is a haven for wildlife and staff work hard to look after and promote natural habitats for a variety of flora and fauna.

  • The mill’s tailrace is a popular spot for birds including kingfishers and herons. The wheels churn up the water and oxygenate it, encouraging more fish which they feed upon.
  • Lavender in the garden is lovely for bumble bees! This sweet-smelling plant is rich in nectar and flowers throughout the summer.
  • On the nature trail you will find some bug hotels, full of nooks and crannies perfect for creepy crawlies like beetles and spiders.
  • Butterflies are common, attracted to the purple buddleias which grow around the site. Some of the most frequent visitors are peacock butterflies!
  • Lots of fruit grows on the island, from blackberries in the paddock, enjoyed by dormice and squirrels, to apples and plums in the orchard, often enjoyed by humans!
  • Younger visitors are encouraged to grab a nature pack from reception with binoculars, a magnifying glass, bug catchers and activity booklets to track down lots of lovely wildlife!
  • The Green Room in Thwaite House provides factual information about the wildlife onsite and some impressive museum collections.

Public Responses

During lockdown people were asked to share their thoughts and memories of Thwaite Watermill. Here’s a snapshot of some of the many wonderful responses:

“I can’t wait until after lockdown to spend lots of time at Thwaites Mills. I want to sit in the grass and watch my children play” – Geoff Smith

“I visited frequently as a child and have many many fond memories, always grabbing a drink and a feast ice cream at the end! One of the highlights of my childhood” – Logan Osborne

“My dad worked here as a guide for years. I have fond memories of the wheel, Easter egg hunts, birds and a girl called Debbie who worked with my dad. He was given a painted picture when he left which I now have. Happy days” – Michele Dickinson

“We had a lovely time last summer. We felt like we had stepped back in time to a place that was calm and simple. No rushing around. It is a little haven, a real gem of a place” – Sam Fowler

“The highlights were the engineers workshop which we were told had been left just as the workers had left it when the plant closed. You could almost feel spirits wandering around the buildings and using the different machine tools. Secondly were the learning facilities for school children, showing what life was like working and living in the area over the time of the mills existence. This will clearly grow in importance, not only for school visitors but also for local historians in Leeds” – Derek Bispham

“Thwaite Mill is both beautiful and evocative which creates a spectacular backdrop for our Portrait Photography Sessions. 

It is, without doubt, one of our favourite places to take clients as Kevin and Janet are a joy to work with, and their knowledge of the mill adds an emotional depth to our clients’ experience.

Happy anniversary Thwaite Watermill – you and your team are remarkable” – Roth Read Photography

Temple Newsam Creative Writing Group poems

A selection of poems were also created by the Temple Newsam Creative Writing Group in response to the mill and its history when they visited.

Copyright © Leeds City Council 2021