Our History
Brooke’s Mill has been the home of wool cloth manufacturing for over two hundred years
Founded in 1541 by the Brooke family, the trading company of John Brooke and Sons Ltd is believed to be the oldest surviving family business in the UK. The company moved to the Armitage Bridge site in 1798 and throughout the following years added buildings and built cottages to adapt to changing needs.
restoration and renaissance of the former wool mills
In 1987 the competition from low cost countries brought the inevitable demise of wool cloth manufacturing on the site. Since then a slow change has been wrought, as buildings have found new uses. A proverbial phoenix has risen from the ashes in the form of a complete transformation of the Mills. Unusually, the restoration and renaissance of the former wool mills has been carried out by the founding Brooke family who have turned the site into a Heritage Office Park. The estate now offers a wide range of office space and property to rent near Huddersfield.
hard working, Creative and enterprising folk
Brooke’s Mill has always been about hard working, creative and enterprising folk. Since becoming an office park in 1987, a hive of new businesses has grown up to replace the historic cloth making trade. But new skills are being learnt and put to use, in order to weave a different future for these mills, and it is now home to a community of entrepreneurs of the future working in the service sector, finance, healthcare, media and design industries.
Further information about Brooke’s Mill Heritage
If you’re interested in the history of Brooke’s Mill and it’s place in the local textile industry, please visit our heritage centre situated in the North Light Gallery.
(no admission fee).
Open 9-3pm, Monday to Friday, 1st April to 30th September.
Come and take a tour of Brooke’s Mill and let us show you what it can offer your business
