Thwaite Mills is a Grade II listed site located on a small island along the River Aire in Leeds, and has a rich industrial history dating back to at least 1641. The site originally functioned as a fulling mill, where textiles like woollen cloth were cleaned and matted using a mixture of Fuller’s earth and human urine.

 

In the early 19th century between 1823 and 1825, the Aire and Calder Navigation company redeveloped the site, demolishing the original structures to build a new mill. This new facility was designed to be highly self-sufficient, utilising two large waterwheels and later a Marshall engine to generate power for a variety of industrial purposes, including crushing seeds for oils and grinding materials for the dyeing and pharmaceutical industries. The new site comprised of the main mill, the manager's house, workshops, stables, a warehouse and workers' cottages. The cottages were sadly demolished in 1968, but the rest of the buildings remained intact.

 

The mill’s production evolved over time, and it became particularly vital during the 20th century for manufacturing putty. By 1950, the mill was producing approximately 800 tonnes of putty annually, which was famously shipped to London to help repair window glass shattered during The Blitz in World War 2. Operations continued at the site until 1976, when a burst weir caused the waterwheels to stop turning, effectively ending the mill's long working life.

 

Following its closure, the Thwaite Mills Society was formed in 1976 by volunteers dedicated to preserving the site’s heritage. Through their efforts and support from the local council, the six key buildings on the island were granted Grade II listed status in 1978, and the site was successfully restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1990.

 

The museum operated for over three decades, offering visitors a glimpse into industrial life and the history of the families who lived on the island. However, faced with financial pressures, Leeds City Council terminated its lease in 2024, leading to the museum's closure.

 

By 2026, the property had been sold by the Canal & River Trust to a private property developer, who a few months after put the site up for auction. Thankfully the museum as been given a new lease of life and will be reopened again to the public for heritage days, as well as the spooky twist of operating paranormal investigation events.

Thwaite Mills is a historic industrial site built in the early 1800s that is deeply connected to Yorkshire's past. The grueling labour endured by generations of workers within its walls, with the workers' families who lived on the island, has fueled stories of ghost sightings and paranormal activity, proving that the past never truly departed.

 

Sightings of a dark figure watching in the shadows from the upper windows of the main mill is commonly reported, with some accounts of a woman and child regularly appearing throughout the location. Additionally, visitors and staff have described hearing heavy, unexplained footsteps echoing across empty wooden floors above them, along with striking banging noises.

 

Other encounters involve a chilling sense of being watched in the machinery rooms, where some have caught glimpses of a worker in period clothing vanishing around corners. Whispers, faint conversations and distant voices are also frequently reported during moments of total silence, leaving many searching for an unfindable source.

 

Physical disturbances within the mill further contribute to its mysterious reputation, as staff have noted items being displaced and doors opening and closing on their own. Meanwhile, light anomalies have been seen wandering into the outer buildings and the house. While the building's age offers potential natural explanations, these odd occurrences, combined with sudden cold spots and feelings of unease, create a terrifying atmosphere for many visitors.

 

With the mills being located by the River Aire and near to the Stourton Stone Circle, this added level of energy definitely heightens the otherworldly experience of walking around after dusk has fallen.

 

Thwaite Mills serves as a testament to centuries of stressed labour and history, ensuring it remains as one of Yorkshire's most haunted locations. Whether these phenomena are attributed to the building's bustling past or to something more supernatural the resonates from the land its built on, the mystery of what resides within the mill site after dark continues to captivate those who explore it.

DATE: Saturday 21st November 2026

 

TIMES: 9:00pm - 3:00am (arrive 15 minutes early and wait patiently outside the front entrance until a member of our team greets you at the door)

 

LOCATION: Thwaite Mills Museum, Thwaite Lane, Stourton, Leeds LS10 1RP

 

PARKING AT EVENT: Car Park on-site.

 

REMAINING BALANCE: Needs to be paid FOUR WEEKS prior to the event date. Failure to pay your remaining balance(s) before this deadline will result in you forfeiting your place(s) and your place(s) will be sold on. Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE!

 

WHAT TO BRING: A torch, a warm coat/jacket, sensible footwear, any equipment you wish to bring along (your responsibility), your positive and open-minded energies.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Bringing alcohol or illegal drugs to this event is strictly prohibited. If anyone arrives at the event under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, they will not be allowed to stay for the night and will be asked to leave immediately, NO REFUNDS!