Kingsmill History
The King’s Mill was originally Almondbury’s manorial corn mill. All tenants were obliged to grind their corn at the mill and had to pay for the privilege. These payments were often in kind, the fee at the King’s Mill in 1584, for instance, being one sack of corn in sixteen. In addition, the tenants had, at their own expense, to keep the mill, the wheel and the dam in good repair.
Fine worsted fabric across the world
The name King’s Mill dates from the time when the Crown owned the Manor of Almondbury.
In 1627 when Sir John Ramsden bought the manor, the mill became his exclusive property but although the old name thus become inaccurate it was to persist through the centuries.
The King’s Mill continued working as a corn mill until 1915 when the water wheel was removed. In 1918 it was sold by the Ramsdens to a Joseph Kay and from that time it was run as a textile mill. Up until the early 1960’s Owners of Kings Mill traded from the original premises but unfortunately due to a severe fire the mill was abandoned and eventually demolished in the early 1980’s. In this period they continued as a manufacturer with looms selling fine worsted fabric including super 80 and 100’s all across the world.
The Business was acquired by the OMC group in the late 1980’s early 1990’s who continued to supply fine worsted fabrics
King’s Mill Lane, 1910. Source: Kirklees Image Archive