1. The History
Not too much out there on this large mill on the banks of the River Calder near Horbury, Wakefield. The river provided the power for the mills, via their water wheels, prior to the instillation of steam engines. Records say that a mill was first built on the site around 1795 when it was known as Race’s Mill and was owned by John Race and Co. At the start of the first industrial revolution, spinning and cloth manufacture also boomed at Dudfleet Mill. The Mill saw the uprising by workers on 11th April 1812. Referred to as ‘Luddites’ after General Ned Ludd, they blamed the new factories for depriving weavers of earning a living at a time of widespread hunger and poverty. They objected to the new textile factory machinery and factory system. Hence on that April night between 300 to 600 Luddites descended on the nearby Fosters Mill, causing damage of around £700 (the equivalent of roughly £500,000 today).
Some records refer to Dudfleet Mill being built by the Shaw family of Horbury circa 1823 for the manufacture of worsted cloth. The mill consisted a large three-storey building with a boiler house and a row of workers' cottages. A report from March 1834 looking into the employment of children in factories showed that Race and Co were involved in woollen cloth and lambs-wool yarn manufacture. The report stated that of their workforce of 40, 14 were under the age of 14. Times were hard and the working day started at 6am and finished at 7pm during the week. Saturdays saw workers knocking off at 5pm in the summer and 4pm in the winter. Sunday was a rest day
By 1887 the mill had passed to the ownership of Archer, Ritchie and Co. who were manufacturers of army & police cloths. Then, at some point in the early 1900s, after the mill had stood empty for a while, it was purchased by James Benjamin Sykes who produced Melton cloth and hand-made "Peg" type rugs. When he died in 1954, the Mill was sold to Mr. H. Hartley for the manufacture of carpets. In 1964 the original large mill was demolished after being left unused for several years. Also pulled down at the same time was the boiler house chimney and the original row of workers' cottages. The weaving sheds, the boiler house and the newer cottages were left standing and Fur Fabrics bought the premises in 1969. They used the site for preparation and spin of various textiles, before closing in 2005. Since then, the mill has been left empty and suffered arson attacks in July 2011 and then again in December 2017.
Little of the original building remains with the oldest sections backing onto the river. Most of the site that remains was built during the 1950s/60s, prior to scaling down of operations at the factory
2. The Explore
Not a place that attracts too many reports which is strange, given it is very much an easy-in, this one. Not a lot left inside and only slight hints as to what the mill was used for. Worthy of an hour’s look-see and quite photogenic in parts. This was a nice and relaxed wander.
3. The Photos
A few externals of the older parts of the mill first.
img9703 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9702 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9701 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9699 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9697 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 12 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Bit of graff on the back wall:
Dudfleet 11 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And in we go:
Dudfleet 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9681 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9673 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9672 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This bit of the mill has completely collapsed:
img9680 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And this bit burnt out:
img9679 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9678 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The newer section of the mill:
img9690 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr
A few traces of the mill’s former line of business:
Dudfleet 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Dudfleet 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Not too much out there on this large mill on the banks of the River Calder near Horbury, Wakefield. The river provided the power for the mills, via their water wheels, prior to the instillation of steam engines. Records say that a mill was first built on the site around 1795 when it was known as Race’s Mill and was owned by John Race and Co. At the start of the first industrial revolution, spinning and cloth manufacture also boomed at Dudfleet Mill. The Mill saw the uprising by workers on 11th April 1812. Referred to as ‘Luddites’ after General Ned Ludd, they blamed the new factories for depriving weavers of earning a living at a time of widespread hunger and poverty. They objected to the new textile factory machinery and factory system. Hence on that April night between 300 to 600 Luddites descended on the nearby Fosters Mill, causing damage of around £700 (the equivalent of roughly £500,000 today).
Some records refer to Dudfleet Mill being built by the Shaw family of Horbury circa 1823 for the manufacture of worsted cloth. The mill consisted a large three-storey building with a boiler house and a row of workers' cottages. A report from March 1834 looking into the employment of children in factories showed that Race and Co were involved in woollen cloth and lambs-wool yarn manufacture. The report stated that of their workforce of 40, 14 were under the age of 14. Times were hard and the working day started at 6am and finished at 7pm during the week. Saturdays saw workers knocking off at 5pm in the summer and 4pm in the winter. Sunday was a rest day
By 1887 the mill had passed to the ownership of Archer, Ritchie and Co. who were manufacturers of army & police cloths. Then, at some point in the early 1900s, after the mill had stood empty for a while, it was purchased by James Benjamin Sykes who produced Melton cloth and hand-made "Peg" type rugs. When he died in 1954, the Mill was sold to Mr. H. Hartley for the manufacture of carpets. In 1964 the original large mill was demolished after being left unused for several years. Also pulled down at the same time was the boiler house chimney and the original row of workers' cottages. The weaving sheds, the boiler house and the newer cottages were left standing and Fur Fabrics bought the premises in 1969. They used the site for preparation and spin of various textiles, before closing in 2005. Since then, the mill has been left empty and suffered arson attacks in July 2011 and then again in December 2017.
Little of the original building remains with the oldest sections backing onto the river. Most of the site that remains was built during the 1950s/60s, prior to scaling down of operations at the factory
2. The Explore
Not a place that attracts too many reports which is strange, given it is very much an easy-in, this one. Not a lot left inside and only slight hints as to what the mill was used for. Worthy of an hour’s look-see and quite photogenic in parts. This was a nice and relaxed wander.
3. The Photos
A few externals of the older parts of the mill first.
Bit of graff on the back wall:
And in we go:
This bit of the mill has completely collapsed:
And this bit burnt out:
The newer section of the mill:
A few traces of the mill’s former line of business:
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