West Block At Westwood Mills

West Block at Westwood Mills

A water-powered scribbling, carding and fulling mill built around 1800, with significant additions and alterations probably carried out in 1824. The mill was originally constructed for James Shaw, who leased the fulling mill at Lower West Wood (now Titanic Mill) from the Honourable R L Savile. It was built immediately after the opening of the five-mile stretch of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal between Huddersfield and Slaithwaite, and before the canal's completion in April 1811. In 1824, the mill was described as the 'Upper scribbling mill' when it was leased by John, Jonathan and Eli Shaw of Golcar. At this time the west side was rebuilt, an outshot building was added, and other modifications were made, possibly to introduce additional machinery for the preparation of yarn and spinning.

The building is constructed of coursed hammer-dressed gritstone laid to diminishing courses, with a stone slate roof and iron tie plates. It has quoins, is three storeys above a mill race (with the ground floor notably taller than those above), and comprises seven bays. A fire insurance plaque is positioned in the centre above the first floor windows.

The east elevation faces the mill yard and features a secondary loading door on each floor at the far left. The original openings include a round-arched doorway (now a window) with keystone and impost to bay 4, and two-light windows with flat-faced mullions in plain stone surrounds to the first and second storeys. A wide doorway was inserted to the right of the original opening, with monolithic jambs and lintel. The ground floor has two altered windows to the left, and to the far right the original two-light window has been altered with a larger opening inserted. The right-hand light of each window on each floor was partly obscured when the north range was constructed, and the walling was angled to create a squint.

The west elevation faces the dam and includes an added bay to the north gable at the far left, and a projecting two-bay extension with a cat-slide roof to bays 2 and 3. The original range has two- and three-light windows to the first and second floors, with larger ground floor openings, some of which have been altered. The openings to the right of the projecting block are partly obscured but include a mill race opening. The projecting block has a two-light window on the ground floor at the west side and two original single-light windows at the first floor, with all walling above being of one build.

The left return, facing the canal, features two-light windows to the ground and first floors, and a large blocked opening above.

The north gable has a tier of three-light windows on the west side and an angled wall with a straight join and a lintel of a low brick-blocked opening near ground level at the left, at wheel pit level. Changes in stonework indicate that the north end is built on the foundations of an earlier building. The range is reported to retain the wheel pit and turbine.

The water-wheel was replaced by an 85 horsepower Gunther & Son water turbine in 1920.

At the time of review, all openings were blocked with cement blocks or boarding. The interior was not inspected.