The Old Woollen
Housed in an 1830s mill building that sat derelict for over 50 years, The Old Woollen is a 500-capacity live music venue in Farsley, Leeds, created by local promoters Trouble at Mill in collaboration with Sunny Bank Mills. The space originally processed raw wool through scribbling and fulling before manufacturing ceased in the 1950s. Its restoration preserved original mill features including shaft holes from an 1838 steam engine, old washing pits, and wool-waste strings, giving the room a distinctly atmospheric, industrial character. Programming spans music, comedy, cabaret, and theatre, with the venue aiming to evoke the warm, unpretentious spirit of Yorkshire’s historic variety clubs. The Old Woollen is positioned as the cultural anchor of a broader plan to develop Sunny Bank Mills into a nationally recognised centre for arts and entertainment in West Leeds.
