History
Newsome Mills was first built in 1827 by John Taylor. It was a woollen mill that played an important role in the textile industry in Huddersfield. Sadly, the original mill was destroyed by a fire on 7 July 1872.
In 1873, a new partnership between Ephraim Beaumont Taylor and Joshua Littlewood was formed. Together, they rebuilt the mill and continued producing worsted cloth under the name Taylor & Littlewood. By the 1890s, the mill complex had grown to include weaving sheds, offices, a large archway and a tall clock tower. At its peak, the mill had around 600 workers and 200 looms.
The mill celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1977 and was known as the oldest privately owned fine worsted manufacturer in Huddersfield at the time. In 1978, the buildings were given Grade II listed status because of their historical and architectural importance. The mill eventually closed in 1983 after 156 years of operation, though parts of the buildings were used for other businesses for a short time afterward.
In November 2016, a major fire destroyed the main four-storey mill building. The damage was so bad that the structure collapsed, and demolition began later that same day. However, parts of the site survived, including the clock tower, entrance arch, some weaving sheds and the mill ponds.
