Property developer buys former mill museum
BBCA Grade II-listed mill that has recently operated as a museum has been sold to new owners.
The Canal & River Trust put Thwaite Mill, on the Aire and Calder Navigation, up for sale last year.
It was leased to Leeds City Council, who ran it as a visitor attraction, until its closure in 2024.
The Leeds Civic Trust said it understood the buyer to be an Ilkley-based property developer, but said it wanted the building's future use to be "sympathetic" to its history.
The 19-acre site was marketed by agents Michael Steel & Co, who confirmed the sale completion.
A spokesperson for Leeds Civic Trust said: "We are keen to speak to the purchasers of the building to understand their intentions and work with them to see the building back in use.
"This is a listed building and is a unique part of the city's industrial history. The building needs to have a viable and practical use but we are keen to ensure that whatever is done is sympathetic to the history and heritage."
The fully restored working watermill, near Stourton, includes six Grade II-listed buildings - two water wheels, a manager's house, stables, workshop and warehouses.
It has three floors and was used for crushing seeds, timber, flint and chalk for use in the dye trade. It closed as a mill in 1975.
The buildings date back to the 1820s, although there was a mill on the site in the 17th Century. There were orchards and arable land so the site was self-sufficient.
After the nearby weir burst in 1975, the mill fell into disuse and was restored by a charity. The weir was rebuilt and the museum opened in 1990.
The BBC has contacted the buyer for comment.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
