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  1. #1
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    Default Allinson's Flour Mill (Queens Mill) Castleford. May 2014.

    Been on the list for ages this place, allways sealed tight, but driving past yesterday I noticed they had opened it up for a heritage day. The tours were limited to the lower floors, so I accidently went up some stairs and managed to loose the tourists. To be fair it's a bit sterile as it been converted to serve as a local commuinity hub, but at least it's been saved.

    Queen's Mill, previously known as Allinson's Mill, is the world's largest stone grinding flour mill with twenty pairs of grinding stones. Although not a listed building the mill is of National Significance because of its history, heritage and importance in the local community over hundreds of years. In fact archaeological evidence has produced wheat grains on this site dating from the Roman period.

    According to the West Yorkshire Archaeological Society there has been a working mill by the river Aire as far back as Roman times. Watermills, some dating from at least the twelfth century were established on both sides of the River Aire in Castleford. In mediaeval days the mills were owned by the Crown and used chiefly for milling wheat just as the Queen's Mill continued to do until 2010. Through the ages Monarchs began to sell off their mills to private entrepreneurs in a search for new sources of income. The mills in Castleford were disposed of in 1615 and eventually the current mill came into the hands of the Bland family of Kippax Park. In the 1700’s the Aire and Calder Navigation was cut and the Navigation Undertkers purchased the mills, leasing them to tenants.

    In 1921 the mill was leased by the Allinson family to continue the work of noted tenant Dr Thomas Allinson whose name has been retained through the years and today the mill is still locally known as ‘Allinson’s Mill’.

    Dr. Thomas Allinson The mill remained under the ownership of the Navigation Undertakers until 1948 when the surviving Queen's Mill was taken back into public ownership, becoming part of the British Transport Commission under the Docks and Waterways Executive. In 1962 it became vested in British Waterways, or as it is now know, the Canal and River Trust, under whose ownership it currently remains. From 1972 the mill was leased by Booker McConnell, then taken over by Allied Mills from 1994. Finally the lease was taken by the American company ADM who took the decision in 2010 to close the mill.
    Amid a history of many fires and subsequent re-buildings, the mill was largely rebuilt in 1887 the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
    Castleford Heritage Trust made an offer to purchase the mill in 2012 from the Canal and River Trust and the contacts were signed on 19th April 2013. Since that date CHT has opened the mill and thousands of people from the local community and beyond have visited the site and learned about its history and Trust's vision of the future.



















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  3. #2
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    Default Re: Allinson's Flour Mill (Queens Mill) Castleford. May 2014.

    had noticed the place was occupied again but been too busy to visit thanks for the pics Bob always wondered what it was like inside

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