Stott Park Bobbin Mill facts for kids
Stott Park Bobbin Mill is an old factory from the 1800s that made wooden bobbins. It's now a working museum near Newby Bridge, Cumbria, England. The mill was built in 1835. It was one of more than 65 similar mills in the Lake District. These mills made wooden bobbins, which are like spools, for the weaving and spinning factories mainly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Today, English Heritage owns and runs the building.
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History of the Mill
The first part of Stott Park Bobbin Mill was built in 1835 by John Harrison. He was a local landowner who owned the land where the mill was built. It's thought to be one of the few mills built just for making bobbins. Many other mills were old buildings changed for bobbin production.
At that time, there was a huge need for wooden bobbins. This was because the cotton and textile industries were growing fast. The Lake District was a perfect place for making bobbins. It had lots of natural resources: water for power and forests that could be cut down for wood. After building the mill, Harrison and the people who came after him rented it out to different people.
The Coward Family Takes Over
In the 1850s, the Coward family started renting the mill. They owned other properties and a bobbin mill nearby. The family made the mill bigger, even when the bobbin industry faced problems. One big problem was the Lancashire Cotton Famine in the 1860s. This happened when there wasn't enough cotton because of the American Civil War. Many other mills in the Lake District closed down, but Stott Park kept going.
The Lakeside railway was built in 1869. It had a station less than a mile away from the mill. This made Stott Park a much better place for business than other mills.
The Cowards continued to rent the mill until the 1920s. Then, they bought it from the Harrison family for £4,000. They ran the business until 1971, when the mill finally closed. The industry of making things from wood had shrunk a lot because more products were being made from plastic.
Saving the Mill
Stott Park Bobbin Mill was one of the few bobbin mills left in the Lake District. Because of this, it was made a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1973. This means it's a very important historical site that needs protecting. The government bought the site in 1974 to make sure it wouldn't be knocked down or changed.
In 1983, English Heritage took over the mill. It was opened as a museum, first with the Lakes Arts Trust. Today, English Heritage runs the museum all by itself.
How the Mill Got Power
In the early days, a large 24-foot water wheel powered the mill. A small stream, called a beck, flowed from Roger Heights to the west. This beck filled a mill pond behind the mill. Later, a water turbine replaced the water wheel. More reservoirs were built to provide water, especially High Dam. High Dam is now a popular spot for visitors and is owned by the Lake District National Park.
Steam and Electricity
In the 1880s, a small stationary steam engine was added. It was built by Bradley's of Brighouse. This engine provided power when the water levels were low in summer. The engine used the wood waste from making bobbins as fuel. It was used until electricity was put into the mill in 1941.
Today, the mill's machines are still powered by the electric motor from the 1940s. The old steam engine is also run for visitors on certain weekends throughout the year.
Awards and Recognition
In 2014, Stott Park Bobbin Mill won an award for being the best small visitor attraction at the Cumbria Tourism Awards. It then went on to win a Silver award at the national Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2015.
What's in a Name?
The name Stott Park comes from the Cumbrian dialect word stott. This word means a bullock or a young ox. During the Middle Ages, the whole area of High Furness belonged to Furness Abbey. It's likely that at this time, or a bit later, this land was fenced off as a park. It was used to feed young beef or working animals.
