Thwaite Mills: Concerns over sale of Leeds heritage site
Thwaite Mills: Concerns raised over auction sale of landmark Leeds heritage site
A landmark industrial heritage site is set to go under the hammer with concerns raised over any sale to the highest bidder.
Thwaite Mills and its Grade II listed buildings at Stourton once harnessed the power of the River Aire and was hailed as "one of the best last remaining examples of a water-powered mill in Britain"
The original fulling mill dates to 1641 and following the original textile uses the property was redeveloped in 1823-25. The mill has been put to a range of uses primarily connected with crushing seeds, timber, flint and chalk for the use in dyeing and the manufacture of materials including barytes for paint and glazing putty until 1975.
The site was open to the public as a museum operated by Leeds City Council until April 2024 before ownership was transferred to the Canal & River Trust who in turn sold it to a to an Ilkley-based property developer.
The 19 acre heritage site, which recently was used as a filming location for A Woman of Substance, is now set to be sold at auction on Tuesday, June 23, (9am) with a guide price of £600,000.
The imminent sale has raised concerns from Leeds Civic Trust, a charity which promotes the improvements of Leeds in the spheres of planning, architecture, heritage and city amenities and is responsible for the blue plaque scheme in the city. Since 1987 the Trust has unveiled more than 200 plaques across the district celebrating people, events and buildings that have made a significant contribution to the city of Leeds.
Director of Leeds Civic Trust Martin Hamilton said “This former mill is of significant heritage value, and we are concerned that a sale by auction to the highest bidder might not be the best way to secure its future."
He added: "Anyone purchasing the building needs to do so with their eyes open to the challenges a building such as this presents as well as the opportunities for its future reuse.”
* The sale is Lot 115 and is being auctioned by Savills as part of a number of commercial and development opportunities.