THESE four ladies were spinners at High Mill, Skipton. Details on the Rowley Collection where the photograph is posted states the mill was built by the Sidgwick family of mill owners and Peter Garforth their brother-in-law (who owned the paper mill at the bottom of Mill Lane).
It was lit by gas and so was Mill Lane leading to it. When it closed down all work switched to Low Mill in Sackville Street, maybe along with some of the workers. Spinning weft and twist on throstles and power-loom weaving, all cotton.
It was demolished in the 1960s but the mill-manager’s cottage is now Primrose Cottage and had a bridge across to the upper storey of the mill - it was 3 storeys with a large water wheel part turned by water built 1782 and part turned by steam in 1825.
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