It was a dull and drizzly Sunday but I needed to escape and do something interesting, so I headed to Leeds to the Industrial Museum at Armley Mills. Like Salts Mill, the buildings are located close to the River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Salts Mill and Bradford's mills mainly produced worsted cloth: a fine cloth made from long fibres of wool combed to lie parallel. Leeds' mills on the other hand tended to manufacture woollens: stouter cloth mainly used for coats and blankets. Armley Mills was once the world's largest woollen mill. Originally powered by waterwheels, a steam-engine was introduced in 1850. The mill closed as a textile business in 1969. It's a much more utilitarian building than Salts Mill, but nevertheless it is good to see it still being well used. The museum now tells the history of manufacturing in Leeds, including textiles, clothing, printing and engineering.
It is great to know that these buildings are still being used. I love its red windows. Nice shot too with the stream leading your eye to the main subject.
ReplyDeleteNicely textured.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit conflicted about building conversions like this. Once they were thriving industrial facilities. Now they house museums or government agencies or nonprofit organizations. I worry about the loss of industrial activity in countries like yours and mine.
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