Description and History of Site:-
The first cotton mill in Keighley, and Yorkshire, was started by Thomas Ramsden of Halifax (see WYK00812) and completed by Thomas Walshman and William Clayton.
Spinning commenced 30th June 1780.
Low Mill was very much an Arkwright mill with the machinery made under the direction of Sir Richard Arkwright himself.
Thomas Walshman had been a partner of Arkwright at Birkacre Mill, Chorley, Lancashire, which had been destroyed by anti-machinery rioters in 1779.
Because cotton spinning was new to Yorkshire, young workers and children from Low Mill were sent to Arkwrights mill at Cromford, Derbyshire for training in the use of his Water Frame spinning machines and Carding machines, along with the cotton processes, they were then responsible for passing on the knowledge to new employees back in Keighley.
Walshman and Clayton also owned a spinning mill at Langcliffe near Settle, Keighley workers were sent to train the workers there too.
Over a period of seven years, £4200 was paid to Arkwright for the use of his patents and training the workforce. In July 1786 Thomas Walshman wrote to Jedediah Strutt, who was a business partner of Arkwright to try and have the burden of the royalties reduced. Arkwright had agreed to give up his part of the royalty if Strutt agreed to give up his part.
A growing number of nearby spinners in Keighley paid nothing since Arkwright had lost his Roving Patent in 1781.
Low Mill 1780 was the historical core of a group of mill buildings which stretched over to the still extant (2018) c 1860's mill building on Low Mill Lane (see WYK00327).
In 1980 it was decided by the then building owners, Peter Black's Ltd, in discussion with Bradford Metropolitan Council planning department, that the 1780 historical building along with later weaving sheds would be demolished. This because the 1780 building was badly damaged by a fire in 1976 which destroyed the historic roof, also some severe scarring caused by later weaving shed additions having been built against the building. However the attached c1790 building, which was very similar to the 1780 building, and was in a good state of preservation at that time would be the building to be preserved.
This is the mill building that is still extant (2018) and can be seen along with the water wheel goit, sluice gate and dam overflow. 30th June 1780 cotton spinning commenced.
In c1785 a steam engine was installed to pump water from the tail goit back into the mill dam. In that year, the development of steam engines meant they were only capable of pumping and lifting, not turning machinery.
In 1803 200 people were employed at Low Mill which, in terms of employment, made it the largest mill in Keighley.
In 1811 there were 36 frames with 52 spindles each in the mill.
The 1833 Factory Commissioners report says that the mill was still spinning cotton and still water powered. By that time most of Keighley had changed over to worsted.
By 1835 the workforce was reduced to 80 with the mill later changing over to worsted spinning.
By 1837-1841 Low Mill changed hands and was owned then by John and Joseph Craven. It was probably around this time that production changed over to worsted.
William Clayton lost most of his wealth in the collapse of Preston Bank in 1849. He sold Lancliffe mill at this time.
Before 1861 Thomas Craven had been put in charge of overseeing the construction of new weaving sheds and the 'New Low Mill' on Low Mill Lane.
The mill dam and goits were changed 1903-09 by the construction of the GNR railway sidings.
1980 demolition starts to make way for redevelopment.

Further Reading and References:-
Giles, C and Goodall, I H. Yorkshire textile mills: the buildings of the Yorkshire textile industry 1770-1930. HMSO, 1992.
Ingle, G. Yorkshire cotton: the Yorkshire cotton industry, 1780-1835. Carnegie, 1997.
Ingle, G. Yorkshire Dales textile mills: a history of all the textile mills in the Yorkshire Dales from 1784 until the present day. Royd Press, 2009.
Hodgson, J. Textile Manufacture and Other Industries in Keighley. A. Hey, 1879.
The Destruction of Our Heritage, Low Mill 1780-1980. Oakbank Grammar School History Dept. April-June 1980.

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Key Words :- cotton textile mill water wheel arkwright water frame

Viewing the Site :- Can be viewed from the public footpath.

Address :- Gresley Road, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD21 5JG
Grid Ref :- SE 06553 41167
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.866677 , Long -1.901835
Local Authority :- City of Bradford
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II*
Historic England List No - 1200162,
Site Condition :- Site derelict - some buildings remaining
Site Dates :- 30 June 1780 - 1980
Record Date :- 20 August 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Andrew Garford