1. The History
The earliest parts of this mill date back to 1822. These were extended in 1827. The owners, Joseph and George Hinchcliff, took raw wool and processing it into spun yarn. By the end of the Crimean War in 1856, the Hinchliff's were starting to experience difficulties running the business, and by 1873, James Watkinson had moved into this mill. At the start of the James Watkinson’s tenure comes the first episode of some significant industrial strike action with 40 of his power loom weavers going on strike in April 1875 in protest at a woman being employed. A rather more serious strike began in May 1876 when he suggested a lower weave rate for a newly introduced cloth with fewer picks per inch. In the end the strike came to an end when Watkinson agreed to the striker's demands over the weaver rate.
By 1910 lists James Watkinson & Sons Ltd were listed as having 5,700 spindles, and 140 looms. Throughout the company’s life they produced woollen cloth, making them one of the few companies in the area not to move almost entirely into worsteds. A key market was selling serges (a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides) for military uniforms that stemmed from firm's production of the first wool-dyed khaki serge used by the British Government in 1900. Watkinson died in 1922, aged 58. Despite this production continued to increase and by the early 1940s the spinning capacity had increased to 7,800 spindles from 130 looms. Prior to World War II the mill employed over 500 people. This dropped to just over 300 in the early 50s. Everything appeared to be going well until the 1970s when all mills were experiencing difficulties. In 1980, Watkinson & Sons Ltd. went into receivership and the company closed before Christmas that year. In 1988, Westwood Yarns carpet spinners were using part of the mill. They had since made alterations to the buildings - demolishing some of the older parts of the mill and making new additions in the 1990s. However, in December 2015 the administrators were called in and by February the next year the company had ceased trading.
After lying empty for a couple of years, Sheffield-based Prospect Estates was denied approval to convert the Grade II listed Westwood Yarns mill into a 23-bed hotel and 48 houses, 16 apartments, a restaurant and offices. Four months later Prospect Estates submitted a revised proposal that removed the hotel and spa and some office space, replacing them with a residents’ gym and housing. Work is now well under way with a large part of the well now having been demolished. The Carding Shed, Oil Can Café and a classic car restoration that were located at nearby Dobroyd Mills until 2017 have relocated to Washpit.
2. The Explore
This was a bit of a come down after the nearby Dobroyd mill. A demolition firm have now taken down a large part of the mill. Some of the team were on site so had a chat with them. They told me they had to tender for the site. They then recouped the money by reusing the stone and any precious metals and dismantling the factory and selling it to a company near Harrogate for reassembly and reuse. Not a lot of interest left was open, and the main building was sealed so this is more of an up-date than an in-depth report. Below is a picture of Washpits before the site was demo’ed:
Washpit by HughieDW, on Flickr
The mill to the back left and centre as now all gone. So not particularly worth making a detour now.
3. The Pictures
The mill’s date stone:
img0998 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0999 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0996 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0991 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The substantive bit of the mill that still remains:
img0989 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0983 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The building here is listed and will be turned into a gym:
img0997 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0984 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Inside there has been some pretty serious work done on the building’s infrastructure:
img0988 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This second three-storey building next to the mill pond was marginally interesting in the inside:
img0995 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0994 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0992 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And some semi-interesting signage outside:
img0993 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0990 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And the old mill pond that sits behind it:
img0986 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0985 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The earliest parts of this mill date back to 1822. These were extended in 1827. The owners, Joseph and George Hinchcliff, took raw wool and processing it into spun yarn. By the end of the Crimean War in 1856, the Hinchliff's were starting to experience difficulties running the business, and by 1873, James Watkinson had moved into this mill. At the start of the James Watkinson’s tenure comes the first episode of some significant industrial strike action with 40 of his power loom weavers going on strike in April 1875 in protest at a woman being employed. A rather more serious strike began in May 1876 when he suggested a lower weave rate for a newly introduced cloth with fewer picks per inch. In the end the strike came to an end when Watkinson agreed to the striker's demands over the weaver rate.
By 1910 lists James Watkinson & Sons Ltd were listed as having 5,700 spindles, and 140 looms. Throughout the company’s life they produced woollen cloth, making them one of the few companies in the area not to move almost entirely into worsteds. A key market was selling serges (a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides) for military uniforms that stemmed from firm's production of the first wool-dyed khaki serge used by the British Government in 1900. Watkinson died in 1922, aged 58. Despite this production continued to increase and by the early 1940s the spinning capacity had increased to 7,800 spindles from 130 looms. Prior to World War II the mill employed over 500 people. This dropped to just over 300 in the early 50s. Everything appeared to be going well until the 1970s when all mills were experiencing difficulties. In 1980, Watkinson & Sons Ltd. went into receivership and the company closed before Christmas that year. In 1988, Westwood Yarns carpet spinners were using part of the mill. They had since made alterations to the buildings - demolishing some of the older parts of the mill and making new additions in the 1990s. However, in December 2015 the administrators were called in and by February the next year the company had ceased trading.
After lying empty for a couple of years, Sheffield-based Prospect Estates was denied approval to convert the Grade II listed Westwood Yarns mill into a 23-bed hotel and 48 houses, 16 apartments, a restaurant and offices. Four months later Prospect Estates submitted a revised proposal that removed the hotel and spa and some office space, replacing them with a residents’ gym and housing. Work is now well under way with a large part of the well now having been demolished. The Carding Shed, Oil Can Café and a classic car restoration that were located at nearby Dobroyd Mills until 2017 have relocated to Washpit.
2. The Explore
This was a bit of a come down after the nearby Dobroyd mill. A demolition firm have now taken down a large part of the mill. Some of the team were on site so had a chat with them. They told me they had to tender for the site. They then recouped the money by reusing the stone and any precious metals and dismantling the factory and selling it to a company near Harrogate for reassembly and reuse. Not a lot of interest left was open, and the main building was sealed so this is more of an up-date than an in-depth report. Below is a picture of Washpits before the site was demo’ed:
The mill to the back left and centre as now all gone. So not particularly worth making a detour now.
3. The Pictures
The mill’s date stone:
The substantive bit of the mill that still remains:
The building here is listed and will be turned into a gym:
Inside there has been some pretty serious work done on the building’s infrastructure:
This second three-storey building next to the mill pond was marginally interesting in the inside:
And some semi-interesting signage outside:
And the old mill pond that sits behind it:
