Oats Royd Mill, Block To West Of Road

This is a mid-19th century mill building, now used for commercial purposes and partially unoccupied. It is composed of two distinct phases of construction. The building is constructed of coursed squared stone with a slate roof and extends over four stories plus a loft, comprising 27 bays. The left-hand section bears an inscription that reads 'J M' (John Murgatroyd) with the date 1847 below. The two outer bays on the left-hand side project forward. The building has a plinth and predominantly features 6-pane windows with stone lintels and projecting cills. Some windows have been replaced with 20th-century glazing. Openings to the right of bay 11 have been partly blocked. Decorative gutter brackets are present on table bases. A first-floor covered walkway made of corrugated iron connects bay 3 to a small separate office. Bay 10 has a gable and a round-arched cart-entry at ground-floor level, along with loading doors on each of the other floors, including the loft, with a hoist above. Bay 24 features 1st and 2nd-floor loading doors, now window openings, set within rusticated quoins, featuring a round-arched design and a date plaque above. Bay 27 has a sliding door. Loading bay cills show considerable wear. The 3rd-floor lintels have iron rings. A lavatory block is situated to the rear near the south end. A fire in 1989 destroyed a further 14 bays that were originally part of the mill’s listing.

The interior is divided into discrete sections on all floors by substantial stone walls; one wall contains blocked windows, suggesting it was originally an external wall. Original ceilings and floors remain, although some ceilings are now masked by false coverings. Throughout the building are original cast iron columns, along with ‘dolly-runs’ on the floors. The original roof structure includes cast iron stanchions supporting the trusses. Other original features include a staircase, drive wheels, and a pulley located in the loft. Modern additions consist of inserted breeze-block dividing walls and a new staircase at the south end. A group plan from 1898 reveals that the left-hand section was used as a wool warehouse, the right-hand section as a mill, with the carding, combing, and wearing sheds located to the east of the road. A ground plan of 1898 is held within the collection of papers pertaining to John Murgatroyd and Sons (1728-1892) at Calderdale Archives.