Thwaites Mill Leeds Ghost Hunt

The first known mill on the site was a fulling mill built in 1641 as part of the local industry of manufacturing woollen cloth. In 1823–25, the Aire and Calder Navigation company acquired the mill and redeveloped the site. Two new large waterwheels were built, and the area comprised the mill building, the manager's house, stables, workshop, warehouse, and workers' cottages. The cottages were demolished in 1968, but the other buildings remain intact today.

The mill was used for a range of purposes. The firm of W and E Joy used it to crush seeds for lubricating and lighting oil; imported woods were destroyed for the dyeing industry. The Horn family, who took over the mill in 1872, used it to crush flint and China stone for the pottery industry and to grind chalk to make "whiting" for sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals to whitewash. Then, barytes were used for the paint industry, and until 1975, putty was produced.

Set on an island between the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation, the mill was as self-sufficient as its owners could make it: there were workshops, orchards, arable land, and pasture. The mill did not get electricity until 1986, generating its power from the two water wheels and a Marshall engine. The first known mill on this site, a fulling mill built in 1641, is a testament to the ingenuity of those who shaped the local woolen cloth industry. From 1823 to 1825, the Aire and Calder Navigation Company transformed the mill, adding two grand waterwheels that embodied progress. The site became a hub of activity, with the mill building, manager's house, stables, workshop, warehouse, and workers' cottages working harmoniously. Though the cottages were lost in 1968, the remaining structures continue to tell the story of resilience.

This mill has been a beacon of versatility and innovation. W and E Joy utilised it to crush seeds for precious oil, while imported woods were repurposed for dyeing. The Horn family, who took over in 1872, channeled its power to crush flint and china stone for the pottery industry and grind chalk into "whiting," impacting sectors from pharmaceuticals to whitewash. Barytes later found its way into the paint industry, and until 1975, putty was produced here, reflecting a legacy of creativity.

Set on an island between the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation, the mill thrived in self-sufficiency, with workshops, orchards, arable land, and pasture coexisting harmoniously. It stood tall in the face of time, generating power from its water wheels and a Marshall engine acquired for the Raymond Mill in the 1930s, proudly illuminating a journey of perseverance and innovation. It was purchased to control the Raymond Mill in the 1930s.