Dalton Mills: Specifically Genappe Mill and New Mill
The name of this mill had been one that constantly been risen within conversations in which, for the most part, I ignored. Eventually, in a little browse online it was decided to be worth the hassle and considering I had yet to venture into one of the many UK's former fabric mills it would hopefully be worth the visit.
The Mills.
With my own knowledge of mills being rather limited a lot of this is re-written from Historic England and other sources listed below.
Sources:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Mills)
(https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1134129)
The Mills were initially constructed in 1866 under the direction of Joseph Craven, with construction work under W.Sugden, with further constructions taking place until the late 1870's.
The name Dalton Mill would be derived from it's manager. Built as a replacement to Stone Close Mill, Dalton mill was designed as a mill for production of textiles produced using the Worstead weight of yarn which would continue the Craven family's trade as Worstead spinners.
The Mills were constructed in three separate stages consisting of three separate mill buildings: Tower Mill, Genappe Mill and New Mill (in order of opening).
Alongside a Boiler House, Engine House, Offices, and a Chimney with a beam engine supplying this and another suppling the tower were also constructed with most the aforementioned amenities situated within a shed connected to Tower Mill
Tower Mill, not featured on this report due to renovation and re-use, would be the first to under-go construction in 1866 seeing operation by 1870. This building totals 4 stories in height with turrets to the North and South-East edges with a further clock-tower towards the North-West. A single storey structure is connected to the west in which an entrance block and gate would later arch over to the Genappe Mill.
Genappe Mill is the building most are familiar with. Running along Dalton Lane, which now forms the main road past the mills connecting to Keighley railway station and continuing on East, it first started to materialise in 1868. The building stands three-stories in height with a tower to the South-East allowing access to the spacious attic and poking further to towards the sky where it hides a water-tank. Along the Southern edge a single story extension houses a small workshop (Unsure if this is remnant of it's post-mill use) and towards the South-West a two-storied connection links it to New Mill. Inside a row of parallel Iron beams support the structure from the basement to the first floor before the loft which becomes one of the more recognisable themes within with the number of rows reducing the further up we go in the building.
New Mill is the final mill to be constructed with works beginning in 1869. This building takes a lot of features from Genappe mill including details such as the iron beams and general architecture. Differing from Genappe mill is a portion which projects north from the middle of New mill creating a tower in the courtyard between the two main mills.
The remaining auxiliary structures were not covered in this report, from reading the Historic England report they all seem to be converted and have little in the way of remaining internal features.
The mills operated until the 1900's having previously employed a workforce of over 2,000 personnel. By 2004, having been unused for a considerable amount of time, it was sold from the Craven family to a holdings company and then later re-sold in 2013. Post closure the mills have seen use within the world of Television with aspects of popular, and in my opinion shit, programmes filmed within.
Having sat disused for some time Tower Mill found use as a mixed commercial building with part of the courtyard between New and Genappe mill becoming home to a vehicle garage. Locals eventually started to damage the buildings and in 2011 New Mill was partially torched although its basement is still used for storage of regular old cars.
The visit.
Our visit wasn't anything spectacular. Having pulled up outside, leaving the car still visible from when we would hopefully be inside, a quick reccie into the courtyard found us a way in to Genappe Mill. Once the heavy rains subsided we exited and headed for New Mill which took us on a rather questionable route inside.
Overall we spent a few hours onsite before waddling back to the car and further North-East.
The Photos
Like usual, no real externals.
A photo from Genappe Mill to New mill is all I have to show, covering the fire damaged connection between the two.
Starting off in the lower portion of Genappe Mill with a rather unexpected film set in the Ground floor.
Not caring enough to focus on a film set we quickly moved on up to the ground floor workshop and the surrounding areas. Although, in later reading, the workshop was part of the mill when in operation I couldn't help think the areas around it were set up in some way.
Moving up the western stairs to the first floor.
At some point my photos have been jumbled so I can't for the life of me remember which floor is which. As the building is split by a central staircase the decay and feel of each floor varies a bit.
Starting off with what is hopefully the first floor.
Heading up the the Second floor.
We next wandered up the tower to the loft.
Some nicely decayed work stations and storage areas.
We departed this mill having figured we had examined the main areas we wished to see before heading to New Mill
The entry was a bit dubious and having seen the Ground floor was littered with mildly uninteresting cars we started on the first floor.
Having noted a sensor on the staircase and the sizable collapse we limited ourselves to this floor before departing.
Anyway, not the best, but that'll be all.
The name of this mill had been one that constantly been risen within conversations in which, for the most part, I ignored. Eventually, in a little browse online it was decided to be worth the hassle and considering I had yet to venture into one of the many UK's former fabric mills it would hopefully be worth the visit.
The Mills.
With my own knowledge of mills being rather limited a lot of this is re-written from Historic England and other sources listed below.
Sources:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Mills)
(https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1134129)
The Mills were initially constructed in 1866 under the direction of Joseph Craven, with construction work under W.Sugden, with further constructions taking place until the late 1870's.
The name Dalton Mill would be derived from it's manager. Built as a replacement to Stone Close Mill, Dalton mill was designed as a mill for production of textiles produced using the Worstead weight of yarn which would continue the Craven family's trade as Worstead spinners.
The Mills were constructed in three separate stages consisting of three separate mill buildings: Tower Mill, Genappe Mill and New Mill (in order of opening).
Alongside a Boiler House, Engine House, Offices, and a Chimney with a beam engine supplying this and another suppling the tower were also constructed with most the aforementioned amenities situated within a shed connected to Tower Mill
Tower Mill, not featured on this report due to renovation and re-use, would be the first to under-go construction in 1866 seeing operation by 1870. This building totals 4 stories in height with turrets to the North and South-East edges with a further clock-tower towards the North-West. A single storey structure is connected to the west in which an entrance block and gate would later arch over to the Genappe Mill.
Genappe Mill is the building most are familiar with. Running along Dalton Lane, which now forms the main road past the mills connecting to Keighley railway station and continuing on East, it first started to materialise in 1868. The building stands three-stories in height with a tower to the South-East allowing access to the spacious attic and poking further to towards the sky where it hides a water-tank. Along the Southern edge a single story extension houses a small workshop (Unsure if this is remnant of it's post-mill use) and towards the South-West a two-storied connection links it to New Mill. Inside a row of parallel Iron beams support the structure from the basement to the first floor before the loft which becomes one of the more recognisable themes within with the number of rows reducing the further up we go in the building.
New Mill is the final mill to be constructed with works beginning in 1869. This building takes a lot of features from Genappe mill including details such as the iron beams and general architecture. Differing from Genappe mill is a portion which projects north from the middle of New mill creating a tower in the courtyard between the two main mills.
The remaining auxiliary structures were not covered in this report, from reading the Historic England report they all seem to be converted and have little in the way of remaining internal features.
The mills operated until the 1900's having previously employed a workforce of over 2,000 personnel. By 2004, having been unused for a considerable amount of time, it was sold from the Craven family to a holdings company and then later re-sold in 2013. Post closure the mills have seen use within the world of Television with aspects of popular, and in my opinion shit, programmes filmed within.
Having sat disused for some time Tower Mill found use as a mixed commercial building with part of the courtyard between New and Genappe mill becoming home to a vehicle garage. Locals eventually started to damage the buildings and in 2011 New Mill was partially torched although its basement is still used for storage of regular old cars.
The visit.
Our visit wasn't anything spectacular. Having pulled up outside, leaving the car still visible from when we would hopefully be inside, a quick reccie into the courtyard found us a way in to Genappe Mill. Once the heavy rains subsided we exited and headed for New Mill which took us on a rather questionable route inside.
Overall we spent a few hours onsite before waddling back to the car and further North-East.
The Photos
Like usual, no real externals.
A photo from Genappe Mill to New mill is all I have to show, covering the fire damaged connection between the two.
Starting off in the lower portion of Genappe Mill with a rather unexpected film set in the Ground floor.
Not caring enough to focus on a film set we quickly moved on up to the ground floor workshop and the surrounding areas. Although, in later reading, the workshop was part of the mill when in operation I couldn't help think the areas around it were set up in some way.
Moving up the western stairs to the first floor.
At some point my photos have been jumbled so I can't for the life of me remember which floor is which. As the building is split by a central staircase the decay and feel of each floor varies a bit.
Starting off with what is hopefully the first floor.
Heading up the the Second floor.
We next wandered up the tower to the loft.
Some nicely decayed work stations and storage areas.
We departed this mill having figured we had examined the main areas we wished to see before heading to New Mill
The entry was a bit dubious and having seen the Ground floor was littered with mildly uninteresting cars we started on the first floor.
Having noted a sensor on the staircase and the sizable collapse we limited ourselves to this floor before departing.
Anyway, not the best, but that'll be all.
KP_
