IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Firth Street, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 3BE

A fine Grade 2 Listed former mill dating from 1864.

Dated 1835 and preserved but obviously not operational.

This picture was taken well before restoration of this section of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal commenced and shows the original Lock 2E with its original gates but in a derelict condition. Just beyond here the canal passes under Queen Street bridge beyond which the original route was obstructed by the buildings of Bates & Co. When the canal was restored in 2000-2001 the level of the canal beyond the lock in the picture was lowered so as to pass through a newly constructed tunnel under the obstruction and a new lock 2E was built beyond. The chamber walls of the original lock 2E remain to this day however now boats simply sail through and into the deep cutting beyond. Image The buildings on the right have long since been demolished whilst those on the left have been turned into upmarket flats and university halls of residence. Notably the building in the centre of the picture has been re-roofed and lost its gable end.

The rebuilt section between Queen Street South and Commercial Street [Bridges 22 and 21]. The metal piling on the right has been fitted with pebble-filled mesh pockets, which has encouraged plant life. The water level is very low.

This lock was abandoned during restoration, to keep the canal low enough to pass under Bates' factory in the new tunnel. Only the stone walls of the lock chamber remain. The water level is very low.

There is an excellent photograph of this mill in Satanic Mills - Industrial Architecture in the Pennines, published by SAVE Britain's Heritage (not dated but c1980 at a guess) that shows a tall corner tower. This was truncated following a fire in 1977. There are also two chimneys visible and they have also gone. I would recommend Satanic Mills and Through the Mill as two books for those interested in Yorkshire (and Lancashire) textiles. The tower has now been rebuilt - see Image

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal and towpath, near the centre of Huddersfield. The canal enters a short tunnel ahead. The towpath stops at the bridge and resumes beyond the end of the tunnel.

When the canal was restored in the late 1990s, it had to be tunnelled under the mill beyond the bridge. The framework of girders ensures that the deep piling does not move sideways.

This is shown on the aerial view as the School of Computing and Engineering. It is in the former Commercial Mills that have a datestone of 1864. The tall building in the centre is almost certainly a former steam engine house.

Emerging from the newly created Bates' tunnel under Queen Street South bridge in the dramatically deepened Huddersfield Narrow canal cutting.