Case Study

Behind the Scenes Industry Tours

Behind the scenes tours

how innovation and tradition weave together

Kirklees textiles industry behind the scenes tours have been part of WOVEN since the first festival in 2019, and during WOVEN 2025 they were the most requested activity.

In 2025 we had 4 operational textile mills open their doors to the public.

Style Craft Spectrum Yarns

Founded in 1907, Style Craft is a working mill in Slaithwaite with a worldwide reputation for top quality luxury knitwear and knitting wool. The tour was led by the knowledgeable Mill Manager who guided the group across the mill’s four floors where they got the chance to see how a ball of yarn is dyed, spun, twisted and balled.

John L Brierley

A family owned textile manufacturer and merchant founded in 1893, based in Huddersfield, supplying quality yarns to mainly the UK weaving & knitting industries. The tour was led by Ian Brierly who also provided a fascinating history of his family’s mill.

Lawton Yarns

Founded in 1902,. The tour gave an insight into how wool is prepared and then spun into yarn to make yarn for carpet manufacture, with discussions of the benefits of wool for interior design and comfort, alongside a walk through the factory including information on design, colour development, dyeing, blending, carding, spinning and yarn setting.

Cliff End Yarns

A specialist in woollen spun yarn production , Cliff End Yarns gave a unique insight into the intricate world of yarn manufacturing. Visitors got a glimpse as to how innovation and tradition weave together – traditional craftsmanship meets modern machinery. The tour highlighted how raw wool is cleaned, scoured, and expertly blended – transforming into high-quality yarns used in upholstery weaving, carpet weaving, tufting, and spinning.

The industry tours proved very popular with each tour being booked to capacity immediately, with many requests for further dates.

Part of the reason why WOVEN is so keen to work with the local textile industry is that there is a myth that the textiles industry is no longer operational in Kirklees, and as the above mills can testify, this is far from the reality – we want the local communities to see what is really behind the doors. Yes, the mills may be a significant part of Kirklees heritage but they are very much part of Kirklees now, and into the future.

"If it wasn’t for WOVEN we would never be able to get in to see this - I know, I’ve tried."

Participant

The tours facilitated fascinating discussions including the challenges of a mill becoming a listed building, taking on apprenticeships, the loss of skills as textile workers age and how to bring young people into the textiles industry.

Other industries that have opened their doors to the public as part of previous WOVEN Festivals have included Bower Roebuck, Yorkshire Fur Fabrics and Camira.

To find out more and to get an insight into more Kirklees mills watch WOVEN’s Behind the Scenes short films