Listed mill up for auction four months after sale

A Grade II*-listed mill which was purchased by a property developer has been put back on the market just four months later.

Thwaite Mill, which sits on the banks of the River Aire, was a museum until 2024, before an Ilkley-based developer bought it in March.

The 19-acre site near Stourton includes six Grade II-listed buildings - two water wheels, a manager's house, stables, workshop and warehouses.

Leeds Civic Trust, which promotes the upkeep and care of historic buildings in the city, expressed concern that an auction "for the highest bidder" could leave the mill with an uncertain future.

The trust's director, Martin Hamilton, said: "Buildings like this, frankly, the longer you leave them the more they deteriorate - time is of the essence to get on with it."

Agents Savills are auctioning the site in an online sale on 23 June with a guide price of £600,000.

Hamilton added: "An auction is always a concern because when it's done as a sale through an agent, there's a degree of control about who buys it.

"I suspect in this case, the site needs investment in the millions to actually turn it into something and give it a new life."

He added that the trust was concerned that the site could be sold to an individual or company that did not understand the "complexities and demands" of a listed building.

Odsal Properties bought Thwaite Mill from the Canal & River Trust, but said the "tough decision" to sell it again was because of a need to focus on "other projects".

Hamilton added that if private development failed to revive the site, public grant funding could be required to maintain it.

The buildings date back to the 1820s, when they produced dye for the fabric trade.

After the nearby weir burst in 1975, the mill fell into disuse until it was restored by a charity. The weir was rebuilt and the museum opened in 1990.

The site was recently used as a filming location for the TV adaptation of the 1979 novel A Woman of Substance.

Hamilton said that when the purchase went through earlier this year, his team tried to reach out to Odsal Properties to discuss their ideas and plans for the site, but never heard back.

"We always value the opportunity to speak at an early stage to any developer, particularly where you're talking about a historic building.

"It's important that people buy these buildings with their eyes open and make the right enquiries," he added.

Along with the six listed buildings, a new owner would be required to maintain the access road and bridge as well as canal moorings on the neighbouring Aire and Calder Navigation.

Odsal Properties were approached for further comment.

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