Coldharbour Woollen Mill

Lying in the heart of Devonshire countryside, Coldharbour Woollen Mill can be found a little off the beaten track near the village of Uffculme. The mill is a unique survivor of a West Country industry that was hugely important to the country during the 17th and 18th centuries. This fact alone makes the mill's history particularly interesting as it was constructed late in the 18th century and continued in profitable production well into the 20th. This was at a time when the industry in general was in decline and most other mills were being converted by their owners, to paper or flour production.

It appears that there has been a mill of some description on or near the Coldharbour site since Saxon times, the Domesday Book recording two mills in the Uffculme area. Prior to development as a woollen mill, references suggest that the Coldharbour Mill was formerly a paper mill. Two Quaker brothers, the Fox brothers, purchased the Coldharbour site for 1100 Guineas in 1797. The sale included the original mill buildings, along with fifteen acre's of grazing land. Although major redevelopment of the site was required, the important factor in the purchase was that the head of water available from the River Culm was good. At this time virtually all mills were still being powered by water, although the advent of the steam engine was soon to change that. Coldharbour Woollen Mill's water wheel, which continued in use right up until 1978, and has recently been the subject of a remarkable restoration costing £126,000.

The Fox Brother's success lay in their ability to produce two types of cloth - Serge and Flannel. Serge is a hardwearing cloth much used in the manufacture of uniforms, and Flannel was the softer cloth preferred for underwear and trousers. The serge would be produced in 'Long Ells' which were long strips of cloth measuring 75ft (22.7m) long by 31 inches (810mm) wide (an Ell), each weighting some 21 pounds. Both products found good export markets in the colonies, China and later America.

In 1865 Coldharbour Woollen Mill moved over to producing Worsted Yarn rather than Woollen Yarn and this necessitated the need for more power to drive new combing machines. (Worsted is made from long fleeced sheep and the wool has to be firstly combed to ensure all the fibres are parallel.) Initially a 25hp steam powered beam engine was installed, followed by a second in 1890. A Pollit & Wigzell 300hp, cross compound steam engine then superseded these engines in 1910 and continued in use, along with the water wheel, until Fox Brother's closed the mill in April 1981. Today the cross compound steam engine remains fully operational and in situ. A replacement beam engine has also been re-erected on the site of one of the originals; this also is fully operational.

Coldharbour Woollen Mill is a superb working museum, and home to the Devon Tartan. An informative guided tour will take you through every step in the process from combing and carding to spinning. All machinery is operational and much of it is over 100 years old, giving the visitor an insight into working conditions during the industrial revolution. Volunteers give demonstrations of the part each machine plays in the overall process. Outside the mill there is also plenty to see. The engine and boiler room, the Gas Retort House (gas was used to light the mill as well as part of the village), the weaver's, carpenter's and dye workshops, and an old air-raid shelter.