Mill Street

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Mill Street is a street which has been diminished by the construction of the Ring Road. Once the town's principal route to the north, it was one of the early centres of carpet manufacture and the carpet masters both lived and worked in the street when they lived, as it were, above the shop. As the scale of manufacturers premises grew it became the location of a number of the principal businesses of the town.

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At the northern end of the Street is the Infirmary (now converted into apartments) the first town hospital which opened in 1870 – funded by public subscription with the Earl of Dudley a principal supporter.

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The site of Josiah Mason’s birthplace is marked by a plaque on the Café Masala restaurant.

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The Town Mills, the principal corn mill in the town was built by Daniel Wagstaff Goodwin in 188? on the site of previous town mill. The river Stour (since diverted) stood behind the Mill and served it for transportation purposes. Immediately adjacent to the Mill .

 

Also benefiting from the river’s presence were the Town’s Public Baths, Swimming Pool and Wash House built in 1855 (also pictured). Kidderminster was one of the first towns to adopt this public health measure. These baths were demolished in 1935 after being replaced  by a more modern facility in 1932.

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