'Story of Wool' sculptural mural, International Development Centre, Valley Drive, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

This is a sculptural mural dating from 1968, created by William Mitchell for the International Wool Secretariat. It is made of bronze-faced Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and is located on the lecture theatre of the former technical centre, also dating from 1968, which is not itself listed.

The flat-roofed lecture theatre projects at first-floor level, and all three visible elevations are entirely covered by the mural panels, which have a green-bronze patina with a charcoal undertone. The south elevation features two angled planes, decorated with vertical panels depicting a stylised flock of monumental sheep. A large, central ram is shown facing forward with curled horns, a textured fleece, and cloven hooves, flanked by two ewes to the left and three to the right, all depicted from the side and facing inwards. The mural combines relief and recessed elements to create a monumental sculptural effect, with a range of textures. These details can be appreciated both as individual shapes, such as the curve of the horns and the cloven hooves, and as a unified composition.

The west elevation is a single plane covered in vertical, textured panels representing the manufacturing of wool yarn, depicting processes like washing, carding, spinning, and weaving. The design includes clusters of small circles, potentially representing soap bubbles, tangled fibres, and forms suggestive of shuttles of thread. Areas of discolouration are present.

The east elevation also features a single plane with vertical, textured panels that use close-up images of wool’s structure to create a decorative pattern. Flowing vertical fibres are interspersed with two large, circular discs which represent microscopic views.

The technical centre building to which the mural is attached is excluded from the listing.