Geograph - photograph every grid square

Taken back in 2008 from the bank of the River Wharfe downstream of Garnetts Mill which has since been demolished (in 2012) to make way for a housing estate. For many years Garnetts Paper Mill was one of the major industries in Otley, taking advantage of the soft water provided by the River Wharfe. A weir just upstream diverted water to the mill (this also made a made a deep calm stretch of the river upstream of the weir which from 1926 until about 2002 was used for boating, row boats could be hired by the hour). The industry was started in the late 1700's to provide paper for the newspaper industry. The mill closed in 2005 due to excessive rates charges. The other major industry in Otley was Dawson, Payne and Elliot who were, in the mid 1800's the company who invented and built the modern printing press. They closed back in the 1970's.