Tallest chimney in Keighley (From Keighley News)

Tallest chimney in Keighley

7:10am Thursday 4th February 2010

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Fleece Mills, an industrial complex in the heart of Keighley, is seen here across the less fashionable side of Cavendish Street 100 or so years ago.

The original Fleece Mill had been built by William Sugden, about 1819, and expanded during the 19th century, until by 1884 (the oft-quoted date of Keighley’s unique best trade directory) it housed worsted spinners John Heaton, John Edmondson and Timothy S Boocock; Greenwood & Co, who produced “all kinds of knitting worsteds”; commission weaver William Smith, machine wool comb maker John Sunderland and grease manufacturer Joseph Craven. Demolished in 1985, Fleece Mills had an underground lake and the tallest mill-chimney in Keighley Some of the single-storey businesses in the foreground traded on their address: there was a Cavendish Hosiery and boot and leather merchant Albert Massey patented “Cavendish Felt Socks” for keeping his customers’ feet warm in winter. On the far right, the Victoria Steam Laundry ran the slogan: “Gentlemen’s Linen got up equal to new.”

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