Horace Mills Mixed Use Development – North Yorkshire
Cononley, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley transformed a traditional 19th-century Horace Mills, a Yorkshire mill building and six-acre brownfield site into a mixed-use development in the North Yorkshire village of Cononley.
Our design retained the historic core of the heritage asset, including the iconic mill chimney. A sympathetic extension was created to double the size of the mill to accommodate circa 50 bespoke apartments with recessed balconies.
The original north light weaving sheds that occupied the site were removed to make way for 46 traditional houses. Each house was individually designed, 40% of which comprise affordable housing.
In addition, the site includes a 15,500ft2 commercial building to the rear of the mill to maintain an element of employment on the site.
The site is adjacent to the railway station, with direct commuter links into Leeds and Bradford and views over the picturesque Aire Valley. As part of the redevelopment, new pedestrian and cycle access links the village to the railway bridge. This provides a route to and from the village centre and rail passengers are able to bypass the often closed level crossing to catch a Leeds or Bradford-bound train.
Historic England said:
“We very much welcome the retention and conversion of the existing mill buildings and consider the design of the proposed extension is a clever and interesting, yet sympathetic, response to its historic context”
Since completion Horace Mills has won two accolades; the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2021 (North & West Yorkshire) for Best High Volume New Housing Development and the Yorkshire Residential Property Awards 2021 for Best Large Development of the Year.
Images courtesy of Candelisa.