The Victorian building opened in 1886 and was originally used as a warehouse and stables by the Great Northern Railway Company. The building later became a warehouse for Booth's Dry Gin distillery before changing hands in 1985 and becoming a bar. The Clerkenwell area was well known for its gin distilleries during the Victorian era. Gordon's Gin distillery was originally sited in Goswell Road/Moreland Street, EC1, not far from Turnmills. In a bid to try and save the building from demolition various objections were put forward to Islington Council. William Palin, secretary of Save Britain's Heritage, said that "It may not be as architecturally stunning as the Sessions House across the road but it’s a really good-quality commercial and industrial building. It’s a good example of an old building that’s been successfully re-used in a number of ways." Although English Heritage argued that the building possessed historic and an aesthetic value, the building was finally deemed not to be of considerable significance to be saved from the wrecking ball. The building finally closed on 24 March 2008.
Club
In 1985 John Newman purchased the lease on the building and opened a bar/restaurant on the site. In 1990, the venue evolved into a nightclub. The first successful club night held at Turnmills was Xanadu, run and co-hosted by London club promoters Robert Pereno and Laurence Malice. The venue was the first to obtain a 24-hour dance licence in the United Kingdom, spearheading the move to all-night clubbing in the 1990s and became the home of several club nights including Trade, the first legal after-hours club in Britain.
Club nights
Thursday nights
Essence. Mostly DJs from the Bedlam free sound system, with the Liberator crew as regulars with guests including Aztek and Murph. Playing London underground pure acid and hard trance.
Roach, Tom Stephan hosted a monthly deep & tech session.
Sunday nights
FF
Warriors Hard House Techno Club originally run by Buffalo, Spike, Taz and DJ Lord Kaos
Melt Techno, Nu-Nrg Club.
Habit
Monday nights
The Well : Progressive trance music.
Closure
On 24 January 2008, Danny Newman announced the building would close on 23 March 2008 as a clubbing venue, due to the expiry of the lease on the building. The building was later demolished and a new office building was built in its place. Publicis Sapient are now located in the new building.
