Brighouse Corn Mill – aka Kirklees Mill – stands on Wakefield Road, Brighouse.
A corn mill existed on the site before the Norman Conquest, and is mentioned as
... as the water of the Kelder goes to the old mill
in a 12th-century charter.
It became a part of Kirklees Priory under Reyner le Flemyng.
In 1565, Robert Pilkington sold the Kirklees Estate – including the mill – to John Armytage. The terms of the sale of the mill were
£50, 6 capon and 6 geese yearly for the lifetime of the vendors
Subsequent owners and tenants of the mill have included
- the Pilling family [1785]
- Abraham Fairburn & Sons [1850]
- Edward Fairburn
- James Brook
- the Brearley family [1860s to around 1880]
- Henry Dean [1886]
- J. & L. Dean
- Herbert Dean
The mill was rebuilt – possibly on a different site – and the Calder was used to drive the mill [1582].
The present mill and mill race were built by the Pilling family [1785].
In 1808, an advertisement described the property to let
the corn mill ... 2 pairs of blue stones, one of them French, 3 pairs of grey stones, most of them new.Also, a dressing machine, nearly new, and one pair of new malt rollers and bean splitters, with one pair of shelling stones, and a drying kiln, all in good repair.
Also, the fulling mill with 6 falling stocks and 3 drivers
There were 2 waterwheels: one for grinding corn, and one to drive the fulling mill [1864]. This was one of the last watermills in the district. The archway to the mill race is inscribed July 27th 1874.
On 14th August 1895, the mills were destroyed by fire. The building was subsequently used for several purposes.
In 1947, it was abandoned after severe damage by flooding.
In 1983, after the death of Sir John Armytage the property was sold.
Around 1988, it was bought by John Atkins and converted into a pub and restaurant. Original plans to have a Robin Hood theme and call the development Robin Hood Hamlet were dropped.
Construction of a new hotel was started next door, but this was halted around 1996 after a legal dispute. The refurbished pub opened in 2003 as the Old Mill.
The Atkins family have reported several supernatural incidents. The mill is said to be haunted by a figure in a smock who wanders the building and is said to be the ghost of a miller who hanged himself at the mill
See James Hoyle and Mill Cottage, Clifton
This & associated entries use material contributed by Jonathan S. Hill & Kai Roberts
Page Ref: KK_39
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