Thwaite Watermill

About the museum

Thwaite Mills is a Grade II listed watermill at Stourton, Leeds, on its own island between the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation. It was built between 1823 and 1825 as a flax mill and later produced whiting and paint. It worked commercially until 1975.

Local volunteers saved the mill in 1976, and it opened as a museum in 1990, later run by Leeds Museums and Galleries. The museum closed to the public in April 2024. The site has since passed to new owners, who have begun a restoration planned to take about twelve months, with no reopening date yet announced.

The owners plan to reopen it as a working museum showing its original machinery. They also plan a café in the former ticket office, a canal-side pub in the owner's cottage and a beer garden, and they intend to keep the waterside grounds free to walkers. A Friends of Thwaite Mills group is being relaunched to support the work.

Highlights

• Grade II listed watermill from the 1820s
• Island setting between the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation
• Restoration under way, with reopening planned as a working museum
• Canal-side grounds planned to stay free for walkers

Founded

1990

Admission & discounts

The mill is closed while it is being restored, and no reopening date has been announced.

Accessibility

The mill is closed while it is being restored, and no reopening date has been announced.

Kids & families

The mill is closed while it is being restored, and no reopening date has been announced.

Getting there & parking

The mill is closed while it is being restored, and no reopening date has been announced.

Amenities & dining

The mill is closed while it is being restored, and no reopening date has been announced.

Events & venue rental

The mill is closed while it is being restored, and no reopening date has been announced.