A PEEBLES hotel has found a novel way to keep the rich history of the recently closed March Street Mill alive.

Almost 90 jobs were lost last year when the historic textiles factory shut its doors and Peebles was saddened to see 130 years of history come to an end.

But all is not lost, as a connection between the mill and The Park Hotel, on Innerleithen Road, means that the rich and vibrant history of the mill can live on.

Textile designer Ann Napier worked at March Street Mill for six years after studying Textiles at Heriot Watt.

This year, she undertook the recent refurbishment of The Park Hotel and has incorporated the story of the mill into it's interior design.

"When I first found out the Mill was closing, I decided I was going to explore an idea I’d had to start an upcycling business," explained Ann. 

"I’m a textile designer by trade and I’d always had an interest in the concept of taking something relatively ordinary or functional and developing it into a piece of interior design. Then, one day before I left March Street Mill, Marcus [leader of the hotel's creative culture team] came in for a tour of the mill.

"He asked me what I was going to do when I left,” Ann continued. “When I told him about my upcycling plans, he said, ‘that’s really strange…’as he had some very similar ideas in his head for The Park, which was about to go through an extensive refurbishment."

Now, a long standing connection between March Street Mill - established in 1884 by David Ballantyne, and The Park - which was originally built by David Ballantyne’s brother, Henry, is set to be woven together once more.

After leaving the mill, Ann was recruited to take the lead on the upcycling element to the refurbishment. 

She said: "We have displays made out of old boxes and shelving units from the mill. These display a lot of memorabilia from the mill in a quirky and fun way."

Peeblesshire News:

Old March Street furniture refurbished with old materials from the mill

A selection of different tweeds and textiles from the mill and have been combined into soft furnishings including a long banquette seating area in the bar. In other public areas, spaces will be created to hang various pieces of mill paraphernalia, from shuttles and old door signage to disused machine parts.

Ann also collated images for picture walls in the bar area that will bring to life the stories and characters from within the mill among many other personal touches to reflect the mill’s impact on the Peebles community.

"The closure was a real shame and had a significant impact on the local community," said Ann. "But I’m pleased that I’ll be able to carry forward a small part of that heritage into this exciting new project.

"For anyone who knew the mill, we hope this will have special meaning to them. Generations of families have worked at March Street Mill and will be able to get a nostalgic glimpse of the mill. "

March Street Mill remained amongst Peebles' largest employers for over a century. Last year at the time of the closure, Tweedale West councillor Keith Cockburn called it a "big blow" for Peebles.

Hotel manager Patrick Diack said: “We are honoured to be playing a small part in the next chapter of the Mill’s story, which has been such an integral and well-loved part of Peebles’ history. The refurbishment is a hugely exciting time for everyone involved with the Park and we hope that the new gallery space, along with one or two other surprising changes, will come to be loved by our guests and locals alike.”