On the fourth Thursday of each month local artist Dave Cawthorne invites you to attend his art workshop.

When he was 18, Dave was paralysed in a rugby accident, something which changed his life forever.  Despite being moved immediately to Pinderfields Spinal Unit, Dave was left with very little movement apart from some in his arms, shoulders and neck. During his time in hospital Dave was introduced to painting as an occupational therapy.  He is now an associate member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists and has many of his paintings on Christmas cards and calendars across the world.

The workshop has a small charge of £1 per person to cover admin costs.  Dave runs the classes from 10.000am to 4.00pm but attendees are encouraged to treat the workshops as drop in sessions and can turn up at whatever times are convenient.
The Tea Rooms are open for light lunches on the day of the workshop. For groups of three or more it is advisable to book places in advance.

Call 01977 556741 for further details.

The Afternoon Art group is a small and friendly gathering which meets every Monday at 1.00pm for both organised and informal sessions.   The organised sessions consist of regular demonstrations by local artists who give a master class by painting a subject of their choice then giving tips and advice to the participants.
The cost is £10 per month paid to the group treasurer.

Call 01977 556741 for further details.

The Thursday Evening Art Group meet every week from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm.   We are a small group of artists with a wide variety of subject interests and use many different media.   We all share our skills and regularly engage in a programme which gives everyone the opportunity to try something different.   New members of all abilities are welcome to join us.  There is a small charge to cover the cost of the room.

Art classes in Castleford

The Knit and Knatter group meet every first and third Thursday of the month 1.00pm to 4.00pm and it's free.  Experienced and new knitters are welcome; the group has wool, needles and patterns to offer to all new members.

We welcome anyone who would like to knit or learn to knit and join our group. We knatter as much as knit but we are productive for ourselves or for charity, or for the Mill shop in the market hall.   We have sent teddies to Uganda to women on death row in prisons who have their babies in prison with them.  The babies have no toys in prison.  We have made poppies for the British Legion on poppy day for a display.   We have made hundreds of squares for the National knitting centre in London who make them into blankets for hospices.  We also knit hats, cardigans, boots and small blankets for the premature baby unit at Pinderfield Hospital.   We have been keeping the Mill Shop in the market hall supplied with hats, bags, Christmas decorations, teddies, toys, gloves, dressed dolls, cardigans, fashion accessories and blankets.  We just want people to come and enjoy themselves.

The Maintenance Team meet at 09:00 on Thursday and Friday and usually finish by mid-afternoon.   They are all volunteers and have a wide variety of skills which are always being put to use in the mill.   Past projects have included building a community kitchen and an amenity block, painting the screens room and converting the island area into an art gallery space.   An ongoing project is to create a museum of Castleford life which includes the sympathetic restoration of “Gilligan's Roundabout” which was a feature of life for the children of Castleford in the post war era.

If you feel you could help us restore a Victorian flour mill into a public amenity please call 01977 556741 to arrange a visit and have a chat with our volunteers

Work started in 2014 to see flour being produced at Queen's Mill for the first time since it ceased mass production in 2011.

Since then a team of volunteers have been working in the mill to adapt some of the grinding stones and milling system so flour can be produced on a smaller scale.

Among the work has been replacing a vibratory flour sieving delivery system , which drives the flour through the milling machinery once it has been ground.   They have also installed a new extractor fan to remove dust from the milling room, which has included building and soundproofing a new room to house it, as well as putting a door on the hopper so wheat can be fed to the grinding stones.   Changes have also been made to how the flour is collected once it has been ground.  Originally it was blown through the factory to the silos where it was stored, but it has been converted to a bagging system.

JC Electrical Services installed new switchgear to control the milling process so flour production could begin in earnest.   The switchgear controls the speed of the millstone so the team can produce a finer flour which is ideal for baking.   In addition to the practical work, the team is also looking at how to brand and package the flour.

Now flour is regularly milled for sale to the public milled from locally grown wheat.   The flour is on sale in 1.5kg and 500g bags and can be bought in the Queen‘s Mill Tea Rooms and the Trust Craft Shop in Castleford Market Hall at £2.50 for 1.5kg bags and £1.50 for 500g bags.

The Patchwork and Quilting group meet every first and third Friday of the month 1.00pm to 3.30pm, this is also free.
Learn how to patchwork, quilt or embroider, the group meets every other Friday to share experience, ideas and work on inspiring new projects.  This is a free workshop for the experienced and beginners, everyone is welcome.

This group has the same format and ethos as the knit and knatter group.  With an emphasis on chatting and producing high quality items the group keep some of their pieces for personal use but others are donated to deserving causes either directly or through being sold in the trust shop.