Description and History of Site:-
The history of Queen’s Mill stretches back to 1093, when it was owned by Robert de Lacy, Lord of Pontefract Castle. A weir was added in 1155, and by the late 13th century the site housed a timber mill with a thatched roof and undershot waterwheel. By 1362, Henry de Lacy controlled two watermills and a fulling mill at Castleford. Records from 1701 note repairs including two pairs of stones (£24) and a new waterwheel (£7.5s.6d). In 1740, the timber structures were replaced with brick and stone.

In 1782, the Aire & Calder Navigation Company purchased the mills on both sides of the River Aire from Thomas Bland for £7,000. By 1816, two separate operations shared the same building: one for flour, the other grinding flint and bone for Castleford Pottery. Renamed Queen’s Mill in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, it became the first building in Castleford with electric lighting in 1892, powered by its waterwheel.

Harry Goodall & Co. acquired the mill in 1896, marketing a fortified wheat product called Triticine. After a devastating fire in 1897 and the failure of the venture, the mill lay empty until 1921, when it was bought by Thomas Allinson & Co. to produce their trademark flour, “wi’ nowt taken out.” At its peak, Queen’s Mill was the largest stone-grinding flour mill in the world, with 20 pairs of stones. The waterwheel was decommissioned in 1970, and after a series of mergers, ADM Milling finally closed the mill in 2010.

In 2013, the Castleford Heritage Trust purchased the site, reviving small-scale flour production in 2015 using locally grown wheat. The mill has since been transformed into a vibrant community hub, hosting a wide range of events and activities.

Further Reading and References:-
www.castlefordheritagetrust.org.uk

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Key Words :- corn flour mill

Address :- Aire Street, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 1JL
Grid Ref :- SE 42915 25903
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.727768 , Long -1.351034
Local Authority :- Wakefield Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site conserved and open to the public
Contributor :- John Suter - 28 September 2016

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © John Suter