Rubble at mill as another link with town's textile past tumbles

This familiar frontage in Elliott Street will disappear shortly and the Harwal Works site will be turned over to housing.

The old Walter Crane weaving mill closed in the early 1980s and has been home to a succession of businesses since then, most recently King Cole, a Queen's Award winning supplier of hand and machine knitting yarns, which moved to Skipton in 2014.

The 0.9-acre site, between Elliott Street and the canal, will be developed by Skipton Properties. Planning permission has been given for 12 one- and two-bedroom apartments and for 12 two-and three-bedroom houses.

Skipton Properties says the homes will be built in a traditional style to complement the local character of Silsden. The three-storey building backing on to the canal will be converted as part of the development. The site is being cleared by Bingley Demolition Ltd.