Originally a spinning mill built in the early 1900s, it was ahead of its time in both its employment of women and the inclusion of traditional creative and innovative technologies.
1911 onwards
Historically known as the Strand Spinning Mill, a significant industrial site located in East Belfast, the mill was constructed in 1911 by famous Belfast industrialist Otto Jaffe and was part of a thriving linen industry that dominated the local economy during this period. Alongside the famous East Belfast industries of rope making and shipbuilding, the site was a prominent employer with up to 400 people working on the site at one stage.
The spinning mill played a vital role in the production of linen yarn, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, and experienced a period of growth and expansion, reflecting the success of the linen industry in Northern Ireland at this time. The mill employed hundreds of workers, most of whom were women and children, who worked long hours in difficult and often dangerous conditions.
While the flax spinning mill is no longer in operation, it remains an important part of the industrial heritage of East Belfast and Northern Ireland. The mill serves as a reminder of the important role played by the linen industry in the region's economic and social development and is a testament to the ingenuity and hard work of the people who worked there.