Thwaite - a working mill
Over the years Thwaite has been a major production site for a range of products. Take the tour to see the machinery in action and see the goods made at the site.
Seed, Wood and Corn
When the mills re-opened in 1825, the lease was taken on by W and E Joy of Leeds, seed crushers and oil refiners. They specialised in rape oil which they sold both for lubricating and for lighting. It has been claimed that the lubricating oil for Stephenson’s Rocket was produced at Thwaite Mills by the Joys!
For a short time, exotic woods imported from South America were also crushed here. The crushed wood would have been used to produce colour in dyes for the local textile industry. Corn was also ground at the mills, but this was never a major activity.
T. Horn, Paris White and Whiting Manufacturer
The Horns came to Thwaite Mills in 1872. They already had mills nearby at Oulton, Castleford and Ferry bridge, and were well established in the business of grinding flint and china stone and producing whiting. The mills at Thwaite were adapted to suit these purposes.
The flint and china stone were ground for use in glazes for the local pottery industry. Whiting, which is ground chalk, was manufactured for whitewash, putty, polish, pharmaceuticals, and even food products. They also crushed barytes which is used in the making of paint.
The Horns worked Thwaite Mills as a water-powered mill up until 1976. By this time, their main line of business was putty manufacture. In 1975, disaster struck. The weir collapsed in a flood. The waterwheels could no longer work, and the Horns were forced to call it a day.