Rare Egyptian style mill crumbling after years of neglect
Grade I-listed, 1843, Joseph Bonomi
A former flax mill designed to look like an ancient Egyptian temple has been included on the The Victorian Society’s list of the ten most threatened buildings in England and Wales. Temple Mill on Marshall Street is listed at Grade I, putting it in the top 2.5% of all listed buildings in the country, yet its structure is now seriously at risk following years of neglect. Built to house part of John Marshall’s nineteenth-century flax empire and inspired by the ancient Egyptian Temple at Edfu, Temple Mill is now a notable Leeds landmark. The architect, Joseph Bonomi, was an Egyptologist and used his detailed knowledge of ancient temples to influence the mill’s design, which includes beautiful lotus columns, snake motifs and hieroglyphs. When it was completed in 1843 its vast single-story weaving shed was described as the single largest room in the world. The Society has also uncovered evidence that the much quoted story of sheep grazing on the grass covered roof of the mill is in fact true, and the turf was laid as part of complex and innovative system of environmental control. Temple Mill is privately owned but has suffered from years of neglect, which led in 2008 to the collapse of one of the exterior pillars.
Ian Dungavell, Director of the The Victorian Society said ‘The weaving shed is still an astonishing space, stretching over two acres and lit from above by sixty-five conical glass domes, but its vaulted ceiling needs repairs and three years ago one of the mill’s exterior pillars collapsed. Parts of the building are in use by a cultural events company but a clear plan is needed for the whole site to secure its future.The pioneering design and striking appearance of Temple Mill must be preserved.’
Status Update / March 2026
Arguably the most high-profile of the redevelopments on our list, Temple Mills in Leeds has been confirmed as the new home of British Library North. The proposals, which involve the conversion of the Egyptian-style mill complex into a world-class library and storage facility, have been awarded more than £10 million from central government, and draft proposals have already been released to the press. However, the total cost of the conversion is estimated at some £70 million and, although the scheme received a £1 million grant from Historic England in 2022 to make the building watertight and prevent them from deteriorating further, there is still some way to go. A 2026 report by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority mentioned the need to create ‘an alternative, commercial exit route’ in the event the library is unable to raise the necessary funds.