Paradise Mill in Macclesfield, England
During the Industrial Revolution, the city of Macclesfield in Northwest England was particularly well-known for its silk mills. The luxury goods produced in the various city’s mills were sought after across the United Kingdom and around the world. In the mid-twentieth century, however, general textile manufacturing declined in the United Kingdom, including in Macclesfield, and by the twentieth century, most of Macclesfield’s silk mills and related manufacturing businesses had closed.
Paradise Mill is one of the few surviving buildings from this era. The mill operated from 1862 until 1981 and was noted for its luxury silks, including custom-made items. After the business closed, the building stood unused for a few decades. However, after considerable restoration efforts, the mill reopened as part of the adjacent Silk Museum.
Paradise Mill today preserves a small part of Macclesfield’s industrial past. Most notably, the top floor of the building features 26 restored Jacquard looms that stand in same places that they would have stood when the mill was operational. The looms themselves along with additional exhibits in the loom hall, the designers’ office, and the managers’ office show how raw silk was transformed into luxury goods.
However, Paradise Mill functions as more than just a museum. People are also re-learning how to use the looms to create new silk textiles, and they are using the restored looms to do this. In this sense, Paradise Mill is not only preserving the machinery from the Industrial Revolution but also preserving the skills needed to use that machinery.
