Monday 2nd February 2026

Monday 2^nd February 2026

Kirklees Valley and 7 Mills Walk.

On a very chilly and overcast morning forty five walkers set out from Greenmount Old School to discover the ruins of seven of the many mills that used to operate in the local area. We started the walk by heading down Kirklees Trail as far as Sheperd Street where we turned right and walked to Holcombe Road. After turning left, we made our way over Brookhouse Bridge to the site of the first of the seven mills, Brookhouse Mill, which started life as a spinning mill later it became a weaving mill. It is the only one of the mills still in operation, having been bought by Cormar Carpets, in 1959. The route then took us up a narrow footpath to Stormer Hill Fold, the site of Stormer Farm. Once through the fold we headed across the fields to the site of the second mill, Stormer Hill Works, originally a spinning mill but later becoming a bleach works and finally a textile finishing works until 1997. The building is now let to small enterprises.

From the mill, we headed down Mill Street to Island Lodge Viaduct, this seven arch bridge, opened in 1882, was part of the railway branch line between Bury and Holcombe. After walking under the viaduct, we followed the path around the lodge to the ruins of the third of our mills, Tottington Mill, which also started life as a cotton spinning mill later becoming a calico printing works, initially owned by Joshua Knowles but passing to his brother, Samual, after Joshua’s death in 1853. After spending time learning about the history of the mill, we crossed the bridge over Kirklees Brook walked around the mill lodge before descending to a footpath along the side of the brook and the site of the fourth mill, Kirklees Print Works, originally an early cotton spinning mill using the Arkwright’s water frame. At the end of the path we crossed over the cobbles on Kirklees Street and continued to follow the brook, with the site of Kirklees Bleach Works, the fifth of our mills and now a housing estate, on our left. ICI Courtauld took over the site in 1962 only to close it in the same year.

Leaving the brook we climbed through the wood to Kirklees Trail, turning left and heading to the Millenium Bridge, where we looked over to the site of Throstle Grove Mill, which mill six, and it is completely overgrown. After walking along the trail for a short distance we turned right and followed a footpath down to our seventh and final mill, that of Woolfold Mill. As with many other mills it started life as a cotton mill only to become one of the world’s largest paper mills in 1865. By this time, it was called Olives Paper Mill, and it continued to produce high quality paper until 2005.

It was just a short walk to the bottom of Brandlesholme Road where we stopped for our morning coffee in a small park before joining the Kirklees Trail and walking back to Greenmount, having covered six historic miles.