Mills Transformed book publication

My name is Neil Horsley and I am looking for sponsors to support the publication of ‘Mills Transformed” a book celebrating the restoration and repurposing of historic former textile mills by inspirational individuals.

Textile mills were the foundation of the industrial revolution and as much part of our national heritage as churches, cathedrals and country houses. They were responsible for place-making in northern towns and cities. In short, they were the backbone of wealth creation in this country in the mid to late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, sadly, many monumental mills are now empty, derelict and threatened with demolition.

I have visited over 30 mills across the north of England and interviewed owners, developers and users to document how mills can be transformed and given new life. The aim of the book, due to be published in late 2024, is to discuss the mill regeneration process and reach conclusions, drawing on the visited mill case studies, as to how more northern mills can be renovated and repurposed.

I am a qualified Town Planner with over 40 years’ experience in urban regeneration. My photographs have been featured in an exhibition at the Holding Space Gallery in Saltaire in 2023 and in the Yorkshire Post weekend magazine. A new exhibition, to coincide with the book publication, will take place at Bradford Industrial Museum from November 2024 to January 2025.

Mills Transformed will be a hardback book, of approximately 200 pages with over 140 atmospheric photographs, produced to fine art standards. The book will be in large format to do justice to the subject matter and the photography and will be published by John Hudson Publishing, with a foreword from Historic England. John, for many years, was responsible for publishing books while at English Heritage and Historic England and has experience with crowdfunded books – notably Place-Making; The art of Capability Brown by John Phibbs (Historic England, 2017) , and People’s Parks; The design and development of public parks in Britain, by Hazel Conway and Paul Rabbitts (John Hudson Publishing, 2023), both of which attracted contributions and advance subscriptions from many individuals and were critically acclaimed. The aim is to achieve the same with this book!

Those who contribute £25 will have the opportunity to receive a copy of the Mills Transformed book signed by the author. They and other contributors will know that by supporting this project they are helping to raise awareness and appreciation of our mills, their importance to our landscape, industrial heritage and social history and will be contributing to the movement aimed at saving and finding new uses for such historic mill buildings.