Tumbling Weir facts for kids
The Tumbling Weir is a special circular structure in Ottery St. Mary, a town in Devon, England. It helps water from a man-made stream, called a leat, flow into the River Otter.
This weir has a very unusual design. Water flows into a round opening at the top, which is surrounded by the stream itself. The water then tumbles down through several smaller rings. Finally, it goes into a covered channel, called a culvert, and then through a tunnel under a nearby path. From there, it quickly flows into the river just a few meters away.
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A Look Back: How the Weir Was Built
For hundreds of years, starting in the Middle Ages, making wool cloth was a huge business in Devon. But by the early 1700s, this industry started to slow down. People were buying cheaper cotton and wool from other places.
To help the local economy, two important people, Sir George Yonge and Sir John Duntze, came up with a plan in 1788. They decided to build a new factory in Ottery. This factory would use new machines called water frames to prepare and spin wool.
At the same time, an old corn mill that had been there for 700 years was taken down. A much bigger new mill was built in its place.
Why the Weir Was Needed
The old stream that fed the corn mill didn't have enough water power for the new, bigger factory. So, the water level in the mill's basin needed to be raised by about 2.4 meters (nearly 8 feet).
They did this by making the stream's path flatter. The circular 'tumbling weir' was built to keep the water level steady. It let any extra water flow out into the river through a short tunnel.
Water from the mill basin then traveled to a large 5.5-meter (18-foot) water wheel inside the factory. This wheel was very powerful, creating enough energy to run the machines. Another smaller water wheel, 3.6 meters (12 feet) tall, powered the corn mill.
What the Factory Made
In 1824, the factory changed what it made. Instead of wool, it started making silk. Up to 400 women worked there, helping to produce silk. Later, in 1897, the factory was sold to a company that made brushes.
The corn mill kept working for many years, until 1937. The special channel that carried water to the factory's water wheel was taken down in 1945.
The Tumbling Weir Today
Today, the old mill site and the factory building are empty. They are waiting to be redeveloped. Close by, you can find the Tumbling Weir Hotel. This hotel used to be a thatched house built in the 1600s. Now, it is a popular place for people to stay and eat.
