Belle Vue Mills, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Photograph taken September 1986 © Crown copyright. Historic England Archive ref: nmr/3123/115

The mill was established in 1828 as a multi-storeyed steam-powered worsted spinning and weaving mill. This was burnt down on 2 January 1831 and the mill was rebuilt as a cotton spinning mill. The site was subsequently enlarged from 1850 to 1983. Find out more about steam power in our Teachers' Kit - Steam Power.

Location

North Yorkshire Skipton

Period

Victorian (1837 - 1901)

Themes

The machines to the right of this picture are carding machines. These used spiked drums in which the cotton was rotated. This process aligned the fibres, which were then placed in buckets as lengths or 'slivers'. The slivers were combined on a doubling frame, which is the machine that most of these women are working on.

Belle Vue Mills, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Location

Period

Themes

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