Dryhouse And Parallel Range At Burley Mills

The dryhouse and additional parallel ranges at Burley Mills were built around 1806 for the firm of Wormald, Gott and Wormald, and later for Thomas Stansfield and Co., who were worsted manufacturers. The building is constructed from coursed soft yellow sandstone with a stone slate roof that is hipped at the east end for the dryhouse. The added parallel ranges feature squared grey gritstone and slate roofs, with gable copings.

The structure is single-storey throughout, with the dryhouse running parallel to the mill's tail race and featuring nine windows along its length, with the west end being an addition. The windows have tie-stone jambs and 20th-century frames. There is a doorway at the west end with edge-tooled tie-stone jambs. On the north side, there are three windows at the east end, while the rest are obscured by the added range, which has two blocked segmental-arched wide doorways at the west end and 20th-century doorways and windows on the north and east sides.

Inside, the north wall of the dryhouse range has been removed, and brick and steel columns now support the former eaves. The roof structure consists of twelve trusses, with tie beams and queen posts clasping collars, and two tiers of purlins. Trusses four, seven, and eleven are of king post construction, with the bases of the king posts bolted through the tie beam. Similar trusses are found in the parallel range.

Historical records indicate that in 1805-06, 'Gott's dryhouse and cottages' and the mill entrance were being constructed at Burley, suggesting this range is the one referred to, as it resembles the dryhouse at Armley Mills. In the early 19th century, such buildings began to replace the extensive tenter fields where woven fabrics were stretched to dry. These covered sheds were used to dry raw wool or woven fabric, possibly using heat from stoves initially. This example is the earliest known of its kind, and by the mid-19th century, the tentering machine was developed. The dryhouse is part of the significant Burley mill group.