A woollen mill supplying luxury designer fabrics to global fashion houses is celebrating 250 years of business.

Batley-based Joshua Ellis, owned by SIL Holdings, was established in 1767 as a clothiers, before diversifying into woollen textile manufacturing in the late 18th century.

Two-and-a-half centuries later the business now supplies some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses – with its fabrics adorning top models on the catwalks of London, New York, Paris and Milan.

The company’s design director Kristie Reeves said: “We are really excited to be celebrating such a significant milestone this year.

“It’s incredible to think that Joshua Ellis has now been manufacturing the most sought after cashmere fabrics, scarves and accessories in the world for more than two centuries.”

Originally based in the historic building of Batley Carr Mills, the Ellis family was instrumental in founding the business but it wasn’t until the late 1830s that the name Joshua Ellis was adopted. An account of the company published in 1895 mentions that travel rugs were a speciality, as well as “pilots, beavers, serges, cloaking, tweeds and fancy trouserings”.

The company remained in the family until the early 1930s, when Peter Ellis died and John Huxley became the managing director. His son, David Huxley, succeeded him as chairman, before the company was sold to the SIL Holdings Group in 2008 when David retired.

In 2003, the factory moved to its current location on Grange Valley Road, where all weaving and finishing continues in a modern and open plan production facility with a dedicated workforce of 55 staff. All other processes commissioned locally, including fibre blending, are carried out at group headquarters, SIL Holdings, based in Bradford.

Batley Carr Mills has since been converted into living accommodation, although the two mill chimneys remain as landmarks to the glory of its former use.

Managing director David Huxley (front centre) with Joshua Ellis employees during a presentation ceremony in 1964
Managing director David Huxley (front centre) with Joshua Ellis employees during a presentation ceremony in 1964

Joshua Ellis produces cloth and accessories for many of the world’s leading fashion houses. Handcrafted by a highly skilled local workforce, all the manufacturing processes are undertaken in Yorkshire using a mix of traditional and new manufacturing techniques.

Kristie said: “Handcrafted in Yorkshire, the heart of fine weaving in England, Joshua Ellis cashmere is the choice of the finest brands in fashion for both apparel and luxury interiors.

“Designed and woven by an in-house team of 55 highly skilled design and production experts, our products are made by blending traditional craft skills with modern production innovation to create something truly special.

“Joshua Ellis has a fascinating history and we are now looking forward to watching the business continue to evolve and develop in the future embracing ‘exclusivity’ becoming the new ‘luxury’.”

SIL Holdings is a family firm that has developed into a successful group of high-end, prestigious textile businesses.

Alongside Joshua Ellis, the group owns the luxury suiting and jacketing brands William Halstead, John Foster, Charles Clayton, Standeven and Kynoch all manufactured out of Stanley Mills Weavers in Bradford.

In 2016, SIL Holdings formed an exclusive partnership with The Escorial Company, which markets a rare and luxurious wool from the small Escorial sheep grazed in limited numbers in Australia and New Zealand.

SIL Group companies design, manufacture and distribute exclusive Escorial worsted and woollen fabric and accessory collections in addition to distributing suiting, coating and jacketing lengths to tailors worldwide.

The rapidly expanding SIL Group, which has annual turnover of more than £40m, has made significant investments in machinery, totalling more than £3m since 2008 and including six new Dornier looms being installed over the last year, enhancing the company’s efficiency.

SIL’s managing director Andrew Seal said: “Over the last 250 years, Joshua Ellis has worked hard to build a reputation for quality and design. Developing staff who understand all the aspects of our design, manufacturing processes and equipment maintenance ensures that as a company we are able to replace an ageing workforce and pass traditional textile skills from generation to generation. Here’s to the next 250 years!”