• 24/01/2025

Brunswick Mill: A Historic Landmark Brought Back to Life

Brunswick Mill

Nestled in the heart of Leek, Brunswick Mill is a proud reminder of the town’s rich industrial heritage and its legacy as a hub for silk production. Originally built in 1879, this iconic mill has been repurposed by us at Staffs Housing into affordable homes, seamlessly blending its historic charm with a renewed purpose to serve the local community.

A look back in time
Constructed during the peak of Leek’s silk industry boom, Brunswick Mill was a cornerstone of productivity and innovation. The four-story building, with its striking projecting staircase and water tower, reflected both functionality and the confidence of its industrial-era owners.

Once bustling with activity, the mill housed spinning and weaving machinery that produced high-quality silks, including ecclesiastical garments and sewing threads. Alongside other notable mills like Wellington and Big Mill, Brunswick Mill helped establish Leek as a leading silk manufacturing town.

The heart of the community
The mill is surrounded by charming terraced housing along Chorley and Gladstone Streets, thoughtfully designed to accommodate the workers who powered the industry. These homes not only provided practical living spaces but also fostered a close-knit, vibrant community that was vital to the success of the silk trade.

Houses along Chorley Street from 1960. Image source: Staffordshire Past Track

Breathing new life into Brunswick Mill  
In 1989, Brunswick Mill was transformed into 18 affordable homes, marking a new chapter in its story. In 2009, it became part of Staffs Housing, and we’ve been dedicated to honouring its legacy ever since. The repurposed building not only retains its place in Leek’s iconic skyline but also continues to stand as a cornerstone of the town’s identity.

Brunswick Mill is more than just a place to live; it’s a living testament to the resilience, ingenuity, and spirit of Leek’s people, past and present.

Shaping the future with you
Today, Brunswick Mill is leading the way in raising the standard of affordable housing across Staffordshire and Cheshire.

Over the past few months, our Customer Voice Specialist, Laura, has been working tirelessly to create an exciting new volunteer role aimed at ensuring our homes meet the updated void standards we shared in last month’s update. Your feedback played a crucial role—you told us you’d like to see the void inspector programme return, and that input helped shape this new initiative.

In this exciting new role as Void Inspector, volunteers will soon be visiting Brunswick Mill to inspect two empty homes ready for re-letting. They’ll check that the homes meet our standards and report any issues so they can be addressed before new residents move in.

To thank our volunteers for their dedication, we’ll cover all expenses and enter them into a monthly prize draw to win a £25 voucher. Plus, this is a great opportunity to develop new skills and contribute to your community.

We’re looking for volunteers with a keen eye for detail, a commitment to confidentiality, and a passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you! Email Laura at Laura.Jackson@honeycombgroup.org.uk to find out more.

Drone Shot Houses

Would you like to become a Void Inspector? 

We’re looking for volunteers with a keen eye for detail, a commitment to confidentiality, and a passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion to help inspect our properties and ensure their standards before being re-let. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you! 

Email Laura at Laura.Jackson@honeycombgroup.org.uk to find out more.