128-589: Painswick Stream is a small river in Gloucestershire, England. It is a tributary of the River Frome , and flows generally southwards, passing around the village of Painswick and through the town of Stroud . It used to join the Frome at its mouth, but was diverted into the then-derelict Stroudwater Navigation as part of a flood relief scheme in the 1950s. Despite its small size, it has been used to power
256-455: A grade II* listed house with park and garden, which was begun by Sir William Sandys in 1620, and remodelled in the 20th century by Edwin Lutyens after fire damage in 1919. The Frome continues to meander its way south passing the site of Edgeworth Mill and forming the western boundary of Pinbury Park, a wooded area containing early 20th century terraced gardens and a country house dating from
384-565: A brass band, and the site expanded, using other mill buildings and new buildings erected after a fire occurred in 1888. By 1876, 1,0006 people were employed at Bliss Mill, and an internal tramway was used to move materials around the site. Water power was replaced by steam power, when a 46 hp (34 kW) engine was obtained from a manufacturer in Gloucester. Other companies also made sticks, including Hoopers at Griffin Mill, which lasted until
512-531: A bridge form a group of listed buildings, which are complemented by Fromehall Mills, immediately downstream. The main building dates from the early 19th century, but some of the other buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The river continues under the A419/A46 roundabout at Dudbridge and is joined by the Nailsworth Stream, flowing northwards from Avening and Nailsworth . Just before
640-635: A drinking water supply for Bristol . For most of its length, the underlying bedrock is oolitic limestone and liassic sandstone. Below Ebley, the river valley widens into a floodplain, and the channel splits into two, which reunite at Churchend. Large parts of this final section are embanked, to protect low lying land from flooding. The Frome rises from several springs at Nettleton (about a mile southeast of Birdlip ) and in springs at Climperwell Farm (southwest of Brimpsfield ). The two branches meet just south of Caudle Green and Syde in Miserden Park,
768-442: A fulling mill, a gig mill and a grist mill. It was worked by a maltster called Thomas Loveday in 1820, and was subsequently used for cloth manufacture, in conjunction with Baylis's Upper Mill. It then became a corn mill in 1853, and continued in use until 1914, after which it became ruinous. The mill house was then extended by the addition of a new two-storey mill and an industrial wing, which had been removed by 1939, when what remained
896-476: A greater volume of water to power the water wheels, but often had to wait until later in the day for the water to be released by mills further upstream, who had the advantage that their water was available from early morning. Although the period up to the 1820s was the heyday for the woollen industry, milling had been taking place on the Painswick Stream for much longer, as four mills were recorded when
1024-420: A group with Leonard Stanley House, once the mill owner's house dating from 1800 and 1830 but now converted into three houses, and Splash Cottage, built for the mill manager in the late 18th century. Millend Mill was one of three built by the clothier Henry Hicks in the parish of Eastington between 1790 and 1820, this one occupying the site of a 14th century mill. It had been converted to a corn mill by 1939, and
1152-728: A length of this watershed feeding into the River Thames to the east (via the River Churn ) and the Severn to the West (via the Frome). There were several plans to make the Frome navigable, the first occurring between 1697 and 1700, for a scheme to upgrade the river from the Severn to Stroud. It would bring coal to the flourishing woollen industry, and carry away their finished products, but
1280-448: A mill at the site since at least 1495. The river flows along the eastern edge of Pitchcombe , passing Small's Mill and then Wades Mill, where the mill house dates from the early 17th century, although the front elevation was rebuilt in 1820. At Rock Mill, the mill house dates from 1681, when it was built for Edward Gardner. Grove Mill was originally a maltings, where the early 19th century building has been converted into four cottages. After
1408-539: A mill dam prevented through navigation. The scheme was abandoned before it was completed, due to the cost of construction and the time taken to tranship the containers. Communication was later provided by the Stroudwater Navigation , a separate canal which followed the route of the river from the River Severn to Wallbridge and opened in 1779. This was later extended through to the River Thames by
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#17327833326971536-432: A mill there at that date. However, there was a mill by 1700, and in 1725 it had two stocks, a gig mill, a dye-house, a furnace, and space for spinning. By 1741 there was a mill, a gig mill and a cider mill. It was used as a cloth mill until the 1860s, with brief periods when it was vacant, after which it was briefly a silk mill, and then a pin mill from 1870 until 1920. W. H. Cole & Co employed over 80 people to manufacture
1664-430: A narrow strip of land between them. To improve the capacity of the river channel, the intervening strip of land was removed, and bulldozed into the southern side of the canal. This produced a much wider channel for the river, consisting of the original channel together with the northern side of the canal. With funding for the reinstatement of the canal approved, this section should be navigable by late 2023, and will involve
1792-545: A number of factors which affect fish populations, not least the number of weirs built to enable milling to take place. Like many rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and mercury compounds, neither of which had previously been included in the assessment. [REDACTED] Media related to Painswick Stream at Wikimedia Commons River Frome, Stroud The River Frome , once also known as
1920-447: A plan to enlarge and straighten the river, with some new cuts, and the locks were probably to be flash locks , with a single gate. Commissioners were appointed, but the scheme languished, with a growing feeling that making the river navigable was not possible because of the large number of mills. One of the commissioners, John Dallaway, did not let the idea drop, and proposed a new scheme in 1754, running for 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from
2048-673: A population of under 6,000. Aid was received from the London committee for the relief of manufacturing districts. They were further affected in the 1830s, when the East India Company ceased trading, and a lucrative market in 'stripe' cloth with China consequently disappeared. Some people emigrated, to New South Wales in Australia, to Yorkshire and to Shrewsbury , but few of the cloth mills in Chalford survived, and they turned to
2176-472: A private garden. The river continues through the Griffin Mill estate to reach Stafford Mills. At Bowbridge a 19th century dye works, now used as a warehouse by Orchard and Peers is all that remains of Bowbridge Mill. The millpond for Arundell Mill still exists, and the associated 17th century dye works has become a carpenter's shop and a cottage. The canal crosses to the north side of the river, and
2304-488: A resident of Daneway, used the wood to produce chairs, a process which was aided by a water-powered pole lathe. When the saw mill closed in 1914-15, the steam engine was sold on to a mill at Shipton Moyne near Tetbury . When the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, the manor of Bisley, which included the villages of Chalford and Stroud, had five mills. Three mills were recorded in Chalford in 1170, all belonging to
2432-487: A result of the large number of mills built along its length, and this can be seen in the number of splits where the river follows two parallel channels. There is also evidence of man-made channels, sections where the channel is perched higher than the surrounding land, and the remains of former channels. Between Whitminster and the hamlet of Wheatenhurst, the river and the Stroudwater Navigation were on
2560-407: A semi-circle around the site of Wallbridge Mills, where the two-storey Wallbridge Mill Printing Department still stands, the building dating from the 18th century. The A46 Bath Road crosses before the river reaches Lodgemoor Mills, rebuilt in 1871-73 to the designs of James Ferrabee, an architect from Brimscombe, after a fire destroyed the previous mill, dating from 1815. Nearby offices, cottages and
2688-429: A significant number of mills, many of which were associated with cloth manufacture until the industry was hit by a series of depressions in the 1820s and 1830s. Some found other uses, being used for grinding corn and for the manufacture of walking sticks and umbrella sticks, another prominent local industry. Many were subsequently demolished, but a number survive which have been granted listed building status. In Stroud,
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#17327833326972816-405: A similar level, and the canal entered the river to cross from its north side to its south side at Whitminster lock. However, this arrangement proved to be unsatisfactory, since the river powered Whitminster Mill, and consequently river levels varied depending on how much water the mill was using, making navigation unreliable. The canal company built a new channel, and the river passed under it through
2944-485: A viaduct carries the railway over the river and Dr Newton's Way, a bypass built over the course of the canal, which now has its own bypass around the road. Beyond the viaduct is Stroud railway station . The narrow strip of land bordering the river to the south of the bypass is managed as Frome Banks nature reserve. It is owned by the county council, but day to day management is the responsibility of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Stroud Valleys Project. The river loops in
3072-436: Is a detached three-storey house dating from the late 17th century, with two-storey additions made in 1730, which was part of Iles's Mill. Both the river and canal are crossed by the railway, which moves to the north side of the valley. To the west is St Mary's Mill, build in 1820 for Samuel Clutterbuck. Nearby is St Mary's House, built for the mill owner in the late 16th century, and several weavers' cottages, some dating from
3200-545: Is abstracted from the canal near Sharpness, and treated by Bristol Water 's Purton Treatment Works. Work on the Purton site began on 24 August 1970, and a 46-inch (1.2 m) pipeline was constructed to carry the treated water to Pucklechurch service reservoir, 17.8 miles (28.6 km) away. The project cost £8.8 million and provided a new water supply for Bristol, with the works commencing operation in April 1973. The route of
3328-640: Is fed by the Slad Brook and the Painswick stream. Changes to water drainage to reduce flooding, carried out by the Severn River Board in 1957 and 1958, resulted in the Ruscombe or Randwick brook discharging into the canal route instead of passing under it through a siphon beneath Foundry Lock. The Stroudwater Navigation runs parallel to the Frome for most of its length westwards from Stroud, and
3456-584: Is restored to link it back to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal . Frome Bridge carries the A38 road over the river, which then powered Fromebridge Mill. There has been a mill at the site since the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, and it has been used for corn, fulling, wire and brass, and the production of animal feed. The present building dates from the late 18th century, with 19th century additions. On
3584-479: Is some 300 yards (270 m) long and could hold 3.25 million imperial gallons (14.8 Ml). In order to ensure it could be filled, the canal company bought Puck's Mill, which was located upstream from its intake. The mill house dates from the 17th century, with a 1960s extension. The river continues westwards to Chalford industrial estate, where it is crossed by the A419 Cowcombe Hill bridge and
3712-490: Is still fed by the river, but that for Hope Mill has been filled in. A trading estate occupies the site of the Phoenix Iron Works, after which is Ham Mill. This consists of a four-storey block dating from the early 19th century, with a three-storey west wing. The pit for the water wheel is thought to be intact within the wing. Nearby are two small bridges dating from the early or mid 18th century, which now stand in
3840-640: Is that of Ebley Corn Mills, where the present three-storey building dates from the early 19th century. Soon afterwards, the river splits into two channels at a series of weirs. The southern branch is crossed by the A419 Ebley bypass, which at this point follows the course of the former Nailsworth Branch of the Midland Railway . A large mill pond lies to the north of the channel, which formerly powered Stanley Mills. The mill building and offices date from 1813, with additional buildings dating from 1825. It
3968-499: Is to the north of the railway track, and consists of a four-storey block with a three-storey block forming an L-shaped plan. Most of it dates from the early 19th century, but one corner was cut off and rebuilt to allow for the construction of the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in 1844, and the east wall appears to have been rebuilt at the same time. Nearby is another small mill building with three storeys, also dating from
Painswick Stream - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-587: The Cotswolds . The Sapperton Valley nature reserve is one of several in the area. The earliest mention of Golden Valley is as a reference in Isaac Taylor 's map, dated 1777; following this, the first reference in literature is found in Samuel Rudder 's 1779 History of Gloucestershire . The Place Names of Gloucestershire (1965) notes that Rudder's is the first written record and also notes that
4224-417: The Domesday Book was compiled in 1086. Cloth was being made in Painswick in 1440, although the earliest known person associated with the industry was Henry Loveday in 1512. Records for 1820 show that there were 25 mills in the parish of Painswick at the time, of which 18 were engaged in making cloth. The industry was hit by recessions in the later 1820s and 1830s, and although steam engines started to appear in
4352-459: The Levant . Despite several changes of ownership, cloth production continued until after 1839. William Clarke & Sons were making umbrella sticks there in 1853, and it was a saw mill from 1857 until the late 1870s. It was then used for making umbrella parts until 1882, and was owned by a timber merchant between 1885 and 1910. By the 1960s only two storeys remained, in a poor state, but subsequently,
4480-655: The Stroudwater , is a small river in Gloucestershire , England. It is to be distinguished from another River Frome in Gloucestershire, the Bristol Frome , and the nearby River Frome, Herefordshire . The river is approximately 25 miles (40 km) long. It flows broadly westwards, from its source high up on the Cotswold escarpment, initially through a narrow, steep-sided valley, which it shares with
4608-836: The Stroudwater Navigation to join the River Frome. The Stroudwater Navigation ceased to carry any trade in 1941, although it was not formally abandoned until an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1954. Shortly afterwards, the canal channel through Stroud, which included a small part of the Thames and Severn Canal , which joins the Stroudwater at Wallbridge, was used as part of a flood relief scheme. The top gates of Lower Wallbridge Lock, Foundry Lock and Dudbridge Lock were replaced by concrete weirs, which maintained water levels at normal flows around 3.3 feet (1.0 m) lower than navigable levels had been. Three streams that formerly passed under
4736-489: The Thames and Severn Canal and the Golden Valley line railway. Below Stroud , the main town on the river, it is swelled by flows from several tributaries, and the valley opens out, with the channel splitting into two before reuniting into a single channel. The river, as well as its tributaries, has been used for milling since the time of the Domesday Book . Some early mills were used for milling corn but subsequently
4864-401: The 16th century. It continues to flow to the south and west past disused mills at Henwood and Dorvel to reach Daneway and Sapperton , where the derelict Thames and Severn Canal emerges from Sapperton tunnel . The canal is initially on the north bank of the river, and runs parallel to the river for most of the rest of its course. Holy Brook, which flows southwards, passes under the canal to join
4992-434: The 1840s, it had become a corn mill by 1853, and was making hairpins by 1879. The owner was H B Savory, later Savory & Sons, who was employing around 300 people in 1904. The water wheel continued in use until 1962, although there was also a gas engine for times when the water supply was inadequate, and pin manufacture continued until 1972, when 25 people were employed. Capp or Cap Mill was first mentioned in connection with
5120-594: The 1860s, but many of the small mills had closed, while others had become corn mills, saw mills or pin mills. Peghouse Mill was the only one to retain its links with cloth manufacture into the early 20th century, although three sites were still in use by industry in 1972. When the Domesday Book was compiled, there were two mills listed on the Brimpsfield estate, both of which were probably in Cranham, where two mills were recorded in 1536. There were three corn mills on
5248-510: The 1860s. The mill house dated from the 17th century, with a later mill building which was powered by an overshot water wheel. Several outbuildings were converted to houses in the 20th century. Eddells Mill has a long history, as it is thought to be the mill granted to the monks of Gloucester Abbey in 1121. It was owned by the manor, but was worked as a grist mill in 1650, and was worked by a dyer called John King in 1731. A clothier called Thomas Eddells of Minchinhampton worked it from 1797, and it
Painswick Stream - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-515: The Cotswold Canals and for the water industry , reduces its flow, again affecting fish. Like many rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in the assessment. Download coordinates as: A46 road Too Many Requests If you report this error to
5504-619: The Cotswold escarpment in the north east of its catchment, initially heading southwards, and then turning to the west. Just upstream of its junction with the Holy Brook or Holly Brook, at Whitehall Bridge it becomes a main river, as classified by the Environment Agency . It inhabits a steep-sided narrow valley, which it shares in the upper reaches with the Thames and Severn Canal and the Golden Valley line railway. It flows to
5632-464: The Frome bought a 10 hp (7.5 kW) beam engine in 1818. However, many of the mills only saw steam as supplementary power, and continued to rely on water power where they could. St Mary's Mill at Chalford reported that they only used their steam engine in very dry seasons, while William Lewis of Brimscombe had between 60 and 80 hp (45 and 60 kW) of water power, and a steam engine capable of producing 80 hp (60 kW), but only half of
5760-541: The Frome's tributaries were also involved in cloth milling, with seven sites on the Toadsmoor Brook, eleven on Slad Brook, 25 on the Painswick Stream, three on Ruscombe Brook and 30 on Nailswick Stream. The operation of so many mills on a relatively short river required significant engineering skill, both in the design of the channels and of the waterwheels, to gain the maximum amount of power at each site. Upstream mills had smaller amounts of water to play with, but
5888-652: The Lockham inverted syphon. The Thames and Severn Canal was abandoned in 1933 and the Stroudwater Navigation ceased to carry any trade in 1941, although it was not formally abandoned until an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1954. Shortly afterwards, the canal channel through Stroud was used as part of a flood relief scheme. The top gates of Lower Wallbridge Lock, Foundry Lock and Dudbridge Lock were replaced by concrete weirs, which maintained water levels at normal flows around 3.3 feet (1.0 m) lower than navigable levels had been. Three streams that formerly passed under
6016-525: The Many Well Springs, close to the 750-foot (230 m) contour. Almost immediately, it enters some ponds, which were once fishponds associated with the medieval Prinknash Abbey . They are located in the grounds of Ladlecombe Cottage, an 18th-century cottage which was remodelled in Arts and Crafts style at the turn of the 20th century. The site has been used for dwellings since the 12th century, and
6144-486: The Painswick Stream in Cranham by the early 18th century. Cranham Mill was the furthest upstream, and before it was abandoned around 1900, it was owned by the Walker family in 1750, and then by Thomas Sadler in the 1850s. The building had been converted to a house by 1978. Robert Bliss, a baker from Painswick, owned Sutton Mill in the late 17th century, and a century later it was owned by John Sutton, but it ceased to be used in
6272-403: The Severn to Chippenham Platt, but the works were then abandoned. The boats were too large for the tiny river, the costs were prohibitive, while the difficulties of transferring the goods over 14 walls were likely to be time consuming and damaging to the cargo. By 1774, the art of canal building was much better understood, and an Act of Parliament obtained in 1776 resulted in the construction of
6400-497: The Severn to Wallbridge. It would include 16 locks and four stanks, the precise details of which are unclear, and to prevent it affecting the mill owners, a 2-acre (0.8 ha) reservoir would be built at Wallbridge, which would be filled on Sundays, when the mills were not working. Over half of the money needed was subscribed, but the plan was dropped in 1756, when an alternative was suggested by John Kemmett, Thomas Bridge and two other gentlemen. This would involve building walls beside
6528-549: The Stroudwater Navigation. It was a canal separate from the river, which reached Chippenham Platt at the end of 1777, and was opened to Wallbridge, just under 8 miles (13 km) from the Severn at Familode Lock, on 21 July 1779. Navigation was extended up the valley by the opening of the first part of the Thames and Severn Canal to Brimscombe Port in 1784, and its completion through to the River Thames at Lechlade in 1789. The river channel has undergone significant modification as
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#17327833326976656-552: The Webb family in 1690, and by 1729 it was a cloth mill in the ownership of the Packer family. Although ownership changed, it continued to be used for this purpose until 1841, when Nathaniel Iles Butler became bankrupt. It was bought by Watkins & Okey in the 1850s, who manufactured pins there, and in 1867 a woodturner was using the building. The Webb family also occupied buildings at Painswick Mill in 1634, although there may not have been
6784-400: The advantage that the water was available from early in the morning. Those further downstream had a greater volume of water, but it often did not start to flow until midday, after it had been released by the mills further upstream. The cloth industry was badly affected by a series of depressions from the early 19th century. In 1826, there were 2,026 people unemployed in the Chalford area, out of
6912-410: The area from the 1810s, only Sheepscombe Mill and Brookhouse Mill are known to have had steam power by 1822. Communication along the Painswick valley was poor, and the recessions, combined with the fact that mills on the River Frome and the Nailsworth Stream had embraced industrialisation, meant that cloth making declined rapidly from the 1840s. Four or five mills were still engaged in cloth manufacture by
7040-436: The building has fallen down, and the turbine lies buried beneath rubble, which also makes it difficult to understand how the power from the turbine was utilised. The building was L-shaped, and there were two mill ponds, an upper and a lower one. The turbine was fed from the lower one. Dorval Mill was constructed as a grist mill in the early 1760s by Earl Bathurst, who leased it to the miller William Fowler. On Fowler's death, it
7168-506: The buildings, the stream is briefly culverted before it enters Salmon's Spring industrial estate, where the clothier's house, which was part of Salmon's Mill at the Salmon's Spring Brewery includes features dated to 1593 and 1607. After the A46 road crosses the stream, it enters Stratford Park , 56 acres (23 ha) of parkland including a house which was built around 1674 for Giles Gardiner. It
7296-417: The canal and river again sharing a channel, with the two parting at Whitminster lock, just upstream of Whitminster weirs. Whitminster Mill had been demolished by 1880. In the early 1970s, the weirs at Whitminster were modified, so that much of the water flowing down the river could be diverted into the remains of the Stroudwater Navigation, and from there into the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal . This water
7424-456: The canal were diverted into it: Slad Brook (much of which is culverted under Stroud), Painswick Stream and Ruscombe Brook . Then at Ebley, the canal was joined to the river. As a consequence, this part of the canal is classed as a "main river". As this section of the canal has now been restored and the locks put back into use, designs for reinstatement had to accommodate large flows and included underground bywash culverts, capable of carrying
7552-453: The canal were diverted into it: Slad Brook (much of which is culverted under Stroud), Painswick Stream and Ruscombe Brook . Then at Ebley, the canal was joined to the river. As a consequence, this part of the canal is classed as a "main river". As this section of the canal has now been restored and the locks put back into use, designs for reinstatement had to accommodate large flows and included underground bywash culverts, capable of carrying
7680-516: The canal. It is spanned by the New Mill at Bliss Mill, built by William Dangerfield in 1870, and consisting of three storeys with 18 bays. A small bridge with a single arch carries the Bisley to Minchinhampton road over the river. It was built around 1800 when the road was diverted. Below the bridge is the mill pond for Belvedere Mill, an early 19th century cloth mill now reused as offices. Brookside
7808-512: The car park for a superstore. It emerges into the open air again to be crossed by the Golden Valley line railway, to the west of Stroud railway station . The final crossing is the A419 Cainscross Road, before the river drops over a weir and into the Stroudwater Navigation . The river channel has undergone significant modification as a result of the large number of mills built along its length. At its southern end, it passed under
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#17327833326977936-495: The construction of the Thames and Severn Canal, which opened in 1789. Both are now part of the Cotswold Canals Trust , and are being restored. A small part of both canals near their junction is classified as a main river, because three of the tributaries of the Frome were diverted into them in the 1950s as part of a flood prevention scheme. Despite the number of historical weirs and modern flood defence structures,
8064-424: The demise of milling, many mill buildings survive along the course of the river, a significant number of which are listed buildings , in recognition of their architecture. The river has undergone modification over the years, not least to power the mills. There was an early attempt to make it navigable as far as Stroud, using cranes to move containers from boats at one level to those at another level, at places where
8192-482: The district. More than 20 mill sites were involved in the industry between 1840 and its demise. With water power not always sufficient, there was a gradual transition towards steam power. The first mill to acquire a Boulton and Watt steam engine on the Frome system was Longfords Mill, Avening, on the Nailsworth Brook. They bought a 14 hp (10 kW) beam engine in 1814, and Bond's Mill at Eastington on
8320-450: The early 19th century, which was probably once a gig mill, while to the south of the railway viaduct is a former wool stove, where scoured and dyed wool was heated to dry it out. Prior to cloth manufacture, there were two fulling mills there in 1690, and part of the site was used as a corn mill in 1820. By 1860, it was making mattress-wool, mill-puff and shoddy, which had been superseded by cabinet making by 1901. After making walking sticks in
8448-458: The factory inspector by William Fluck, the tenant from 1828, stated that water power provided 16 hp (12 kW) in winter and around half of that amount during the summer. By 1838 there were three power looms and 33 operational hand looms at the site, with two unused hand looms. It was still being used for cloth production by William Freeman in 1849, although Ebenezer Durdin was also listed there in 1842, making umbrella and parasol sticks. Durdin
8576-463: The final section, it occupies the course of the Stroudwater Navigation for a short distance, passes under the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal as two separate channels at Saul Junction and enters the River Severn at a sluice at Upper Framilode . At Caudle Green the eastern side of the valley rises to the North Sea / Atlantic watershed , approximately one mile to the east. The Frome basin shares
8704-451: The full flood flow of all three streams. A new weir which carries a towpath bridge was constructed where the water leaves the canal to enter the River Frome, and a set of floodgates was constructed beyond the weir, to protect the canal from high water levels. After the closure of the canal in 1954, land drainage work resulted in the Lockham syphon being removed. To the west of the syphon, the canal and river ran parallel to one another, with
8832-414: The full flood flow of all three streams. A new weir which carries a towpath bridge was constructed where the water leaves the canal to enter the River Frome, and a set of floodgates was constructed beyond the weir, to protect the canal from high water levels. Despite its relatively small size, the Painswick Stream supplied power to a number of mills. Many were known by multiple names over their lifetime, and
8960-409: The industry was William Dangerfield, who started making walking sticks in 1845 at Gussage Mill, on the Toadsmoor Brook. The business prospered, and soon outgrew the premises. A new site was found at Bliss Mill, and the machinery was relocated to that site, although wooden components continued to be made at Gussage Mill. The workforce marched ceremoniously to the new site, accompanied by flags, banners and
9088-466: The junction, Nailsworth Stream fed Dudbrige Flour Mill, a five-storey building dating from 1849 which is now hemmed in by the car park of a Sainsbury's supermarket. A little further to the west is Ebley Mill, a woollen mill that was built for Stanley and Stephen Clissold in 1818. A clock tower and extension were added in 1862, and the building was extensively refurbished in 1987-90 to become the offices for Stroud District Council . The next extant mill site
9216-415: The late 16th century and some from the late 17th century. A second mill building lies just to the north of St Mary's Mill. It dates from the early 18th century, and has a mid 19th century chimney. After passing Wimberley Mills, a railway viaduct carries the railway back to the south side of the valley, passing between the buildings of Bourne Mills, on the southern edge of Brimscombe . The main mill building
9344-546: The later 1850s, and then became a pin mill, owned by Watkins & Okey. It was still water-powered when it was bought out by Savory & Sons of Brookhouse Mill in 1908, who continued to make pins at the site until after the First World War. When production ceased, several of the industrial buildings were demolished. Small's Mill was owned by the Palling family by 1720, and was producing cloth for export to India and
9472-620: The manor of Minchinhampton, with more further down river in Stroud. Some had become fulling mills by 1360, and although there were several small mills that were only ever used for corn milling, there were 24 sites where cloth production is known to have occurred within the manor. By 1831, the movement from agriculture to cloth production in Bisley was considerable, with 277 families obtaining their income from agriculture, and 677 from trade. Between 1750 and 1820, there were 39 cloth mills at Stroud and above, with another 16 downstream of Stroud. Several of
9600-471: The manufacture of cloth in 1985. The site also retains some storage buildings dating from 1815, and the power loom shed, built in 1854 to house the first power looms used at the mill. The southern channel continues through the hamlet of Stanley Downton and under a viaduct on the Bristol to Exeter Railway to reach Beard's Mill. The workshops, dating from the late 18th century are listed buildings, and form
9728-399: The manufacture of silk and walking sticks instead. From the early 1840s, the manufacture of walking sticks and umbrella sticks, with their handles and fittings, provided prosperity to many along the river. A significant proportion of the sticks were exported to the colonies and to India, until the gradual demise of the fashion for walking sticks in the 1930s and 1940s. A significant player in
9856-553: The mid-1930s, Henry S Hack who manufactured umbrella sticks at Bourne Mill until the 1960s, and the Chalford Stick Company, which occupied St Mary's Mill at Chalford in 1903, and continued to make walking sticks there until 1981. They then moved to Churches Mill at Woodchester , where they made walking sticks for the National Health Service until 1990, becoming the last survivor of the industry in
9984-469: The mid-20th century, the site is now used for light industry, and the wool stove is used as a store. To the western end of Brimscombe Port, where goods were transferred between trows from the River Severn and Thames barges from the Thames, was Port Mill. This was probably the site of Field's Mill, which was operational in the 17th century, but had been rebuilt as Port Mill by 1744. Brimscombe Port
10112-412: The mill building, dating them the 17th and 19th centuries with 20th century modifications, has been converted into a cottage. The mill house is older, dating from 1678. Just to the south a large mill pond powered Painswick Mill, where a large mill house remains, dating from the 17th century with 20th century additions. Nearby are two mill cottages, which are mirror images of each other. The final mill before
10240-535: The mill machinery. It was labelled as a corn mill in 1885. Henwood Mill was built before 1707, for in that year it was part of the Daneway Estate in the parish of Bisley. It was constructed of stone, and was sold to Earl Bathhurst, who continued to operate it as a corn mill until the early 20th century. Soon after purchase, Earl Bathurst replaced the breastshot water wheel with a water turbine manufactured by Gilbert Gilkes of Kendal . Since operation ceased,
10368-482: The mill weirs, some 12 feet (3.7 m) thick, on which cranes would be mounted. Cargo would be carried in boxes, which would be moved from a boat at one level to one at the other level by the cranes. An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1759, which specified 29 September 1761 as the date by which the work had to be completed. Some progress was made, but a six-year extension to the time limit was granted in 1761. Nearly 5 miles (8 km) of river were altered, probably from
10496-401: The names adopted in this article are generally those used on the modern Ordnance Survey map. The area around Stroud was an important centre for the woollen industry between 1750 and 1820, and there were 25 mills on the Painswick Stream and its tributaries involved in cloth manufacture during this period, although not all were operational at the same time. Mills downstream generally benefitted from
10624-437: The north to reach Stroud and then to the west again to Ebley Mill , where there is a gauging station to measure its flow. Below Stroud, it shares its course with the Stroudwater Navigation , which with the Thames and Severn is now part of the Cotswold Canals, which are undergoing restoration. The final section flows to the north-west, although much of its flow is then diverted into the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal to provide
10752-419: The pins in 1904, and had obtained a steam engine to provide more power. Skinner's Mill, which was at times known as both Painswick and Springs Mill, was probably operational during the 16th and 17th centuries, and was described as two water corn mills in 1698. It appears to have continued as a corn mill, despite being owned by the clothier John Pinfold after 1749, and served this function until 1880. A steam engine
10880-414: The plan faced concerted opposition from the large number of mill owners, who depended on the river for their water power. In 1728, a new scheme was proposed, for a navigable canal of 8.25 miles (13.3 km) with 12 locks. An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1730, with support from all of the mill owners above Stroud, but opposition from some below the town. Despite the mention of a canal, it was essentially
11008-558: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations and is rated good or fail. The water quality of the Frome was as follows in 2019. The river has not been classed as good quality because of physical modification of the channel, which particularly affects fish populations. Historical weirs and modern flood protection structures prevent fish from moving freely along its course, and surface water abstraction, both for navigation on
11136-417: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations and is rated good or fail. The water quality of the Painswick Stream was as follows in 2019. The ecological assessment of the river is rated as good quality, an improvement from its moderate status in 2016. It has achieved good quality despite
11264-471: The river at Brimscombe Port is set to be changed as part of the redevelopment of the port for the reinstatement of the Thames and Severn Canal . Planning permission was obtained in March 2021 for infrastructure improvements, which include the demolition of modern additions to Port Mill. A new channel for the canal and a new bed for the river will be constructed further to the south, and the old river bed, which
11392-486: The river flows through Stratford Park where there is an arboretum, created by the Watts family of brewers. The park has been managed by Stroud District Council since 1936, and two bridges carry a model railway over the river. The Stroudwater Navigation through Stroud has been restored, and the water from the river and from the Slad Brook, which was also diverted into the canal, now powers a water turbine generating electricity,
11520-493: The river is not classified as heavily modified, although the modification of its channel, together with the volume of water abstracted to supply the canals and for the drinking water industry , means that its water quality is only rated moderate under the terms of the Water Framework Directive , as both factors affect the ability of fish to move freely along the river. The River Frome flows from high up on
11648-421: The river was important for the woollen industry, until that experienced a series of depressions in the early 19th century. The area then became known for the production of walking sticks and umbrella sticks, an industry that lasted into the mid-20th century. Steam engines were installed from the 1810s onwards, but were often used to assist when water power was insufficient, rather than to replace water power. Despite
11776-510: The river, and to the south of Stonehouse the river passes through the railway embankment on the Bristol to Exeter Railway to reach Bond's Mill. The complex of channels further downstream were once part of Churchend Woollen Mills, and then the two channels reunite. An underpass was constructed when the M5 motorway was built, and this will probably be shared with the Stroudwater Navigation when that
11904-462: The river. As it enters Golden Valley to the north of Frampton Mansell , it is joined by the Golden Valley line , a railway which runs from Swindon to Gloucester and emerges from the Sapperton railway tunnel nearby. Near Puck Mill Upper Lock, the canal crosses to the south side of the river, and there is a large reservoir, built to supply water to the Thames and Severn Canal. The reservoir
12032-520: The sale of which helps to fund the maintenance of the canal. The water quality of the river is measured by the Environment Agency , and its ecological status is good, although its chemical status, in common with most rivers in England, is bad, due to the presence of chemicals which had not previously been included in the assessment. The river rises at a series of springs in Cranham Wood, including
12160-427: The second of 13 feet (4.0 m) diameter. The site was known as Salmon Springs by 1884, and was the home of Salmon Springs Brewery by 1885, a use which continued through the 1920s, but the buildings were disused by 1936. The final mill on the river was Stratford Mill, which was a fulling mill in 1597. It became a corn mill in 1801, although it was advertised as partly converted for the manufacture of clothing in 1807. It
12288-529: The site was producing flock in 1889, after which it was used to grind corn. In 1903 it was still shown as a logwood mill by the Ordnance Survey, and the Rock Brewery was also located at the site. The mill buildings had been demolished by 1923. Grove Mill was a cloth or fulling mill in 1763, but had previously been an oil mill. By 1820 it had become a paper mill, but was producing grist by 1827. It
12416-541: The site was sold to William Todd in 1821, who constructed pleasure grounds and thatched cottages. In 1898 the site was leased to Dr Pruen, who founded the Cotswold Sanatorium there, and the cottage was occupied by doctors until the 1940s. The writer George Orwell corrected the proofs of his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four while he was a patient at the Sanatorium. The stream flows to the west, passing through
12544-530: The steam power was actually used. St Mary's Mill claimed that their engine had been made by Boulton and Watt, but Boulton and Watt's records do not show that they supplied the engine. By 1850, there were steam engines totalling 806 hp (601 kW) powering the Gloucestershire woollen industry, which included mills on the River Cam and Little Avon River as well as the Frome system, while water power contributed 1,495 hp (1,115 kW), or 65 per cent of
12672-438: The stream leaves Painswick is Skinners Mill, where the mill and mill house, dating from the 15th century or possibly earlier, have been converted into two cottages. To the west of Painswick, the Painswick Stream is joined by Wash Brook, which flows southwards and also powered a number of mills. Immediately below the junction is Kings Mill, The present mill building and house date from the 18th and 19th centuries, but there has been
12800-402: The time is not known. However, by 1671, it was described as a corn mill, tuck mill, gig mill and mosing mill, the latter three terms all related to cloth production. In 1787, it was advertised as separate corn and fulling mills. It was rebuilt in 1818, to accommodate all the processes required to produce cloth, apart from the final weaving. It was briefly used to make scarlet- and billiard-cloth in
12928-432: The total. The number of steam engines increased as the woollen industry gave way to other manufacturing processes, and these were in turn replaced by oil or gas engines, and finally by electric power. Below Sapperton the Frome runs adjacent to the Thames and Severn Canal , parts of which have been restored, although much remains disused. The canal joins the Stroudwater Navigation at Wallbridge. The Stroudwater Navigation
13056-466: The track in 1979, and it opened to the public in 1982. The river is then crossed by an early 19th century cast iron bridge, the spandrels and balustrade of which are decorated with ornamental circles. A large fish pond lies to the east of the river before it exits from the park, passing under the A4171 road. Stratford corn mill used to be located to the south of the road, but the river is now culverted beneath
13184-508: The turbine, which is located beside Dudbridge Lower Lock, it discharges back into the canal below the lock. It can generate up to 22 kW of electricity, the sale of which helps to maintain the canal. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor or bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
13312-542: The valley is "doubtless so called from the wealth that came from its industries". The name of the valley is occasionally falsely attributed to Queen Victoria , by whose time the name 'Golden Valley' had already entered common use. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
13440-432: The village of Cranham , and then gradually turns to the south as it passes Cranham Mill and Sutton's Mill. It then passes Eddell's Mill to reach Tocknell's Court, where a lake has been created by a weir across the stream. Tocknell's Court is a grade II* listed country house, dating from the 1570s and 1640s, with alterations dating from 1716. A little further south, it passes Mill Cottage, an early 18th-century building which
13568-410: The water wheel has been restored, and a house has been built on the site of the mill. Pitchcombe Upper Mill was located on Pitchcombe Stream, a small tributary that flows through the village of Pitchcombe . It had a water wheel that was 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter, and was repeatedly offered for sale as a clothing mill between 1814 and the 1830s. It was working as a corn mill by 1838, and although it
13696-492: Was a cloth mill from around 1820 until 1856, but was in ruins by the 1890s. A little further downstream was an unnamed mill, powered by water from the Washwell Spring, a small tributary of Painswick Stream. It is known to have been used by Zachariah Powell as a cloth mill between 1820 and 1837, but was then bought by John Loveday, who demolished it. Loveday's Mill was owned by a Mr Loveday in 1777, and in 1792 consisted of
13824-420: Was a corn mill near to the house at Haregrove, which was fitted with a new wheel in 1869, after a period of inactivity. William Gardiner was the miller until the early 1890s, after which it was disused. It became ruinous after 1945, and was demolished, although the mill pond is still there. Returning to the main stream, Tocknell's Court was occupied by a clothier called James Tocknell until 1602, when he died. There
13952-403: Was a mill nearby, but there is no firm evidence that it was used for fulling. It was used for grinding corn in 1820, when William Cox was the miller. Downstream was Oliver's Mill, at a site which was used for milling from the 15th century. It was sold to a clothier called John Cox in 1785, who worked it together with Damsells Mill until the late 1830s. It was worked again in the 1850s and 1860s, and
14080-427: Was acquired by the Thames and Severn Canal Company, and Richard William Walter Hancox was the last recorded miller. It probably ceased to operate in the late 1890s, but certainly by 1901, and had gradually fallen down. Most of the stone and ironwork have been robbed, and what remains lies beneath thick undergrowth. Daneway Mill was a steam-powered saw mill, which relied on the Thames and Severn Canal to supply coal, and
14208-421: Was also a manufacturing chemist. The site became a corn mill in the late 19th century, and continued to be so until the 1930s, after which it was demolished. Rock Mill was used for cloth manufacture by various owners between 1681 and the 1850s. Water power was supplemented by a 12 hp (8.9 kW) steam engine in the 1840s, and it had become a pin mill by the mid-1850s. It was then used for grinding dyewood, and
14336-534: Was an important and essential part of Stroud's growth as a town. The canal was a thriving thoroughfare for trade, putting Stroud on the map during the industrial revolution . The valley from Chalford to Stroud, known as the Golden Valley, is one of Stroud's Five Valleys ; it carries the Stroud-Swindon railway (known informally as the Golden Valley line) and the Thames and Severn Canal towards
14464-423: Was briefly used for the manufacture of hooks and eyes around 1850, it soon reverted to being a corn mill. It was then owned by a company of builders and carpenters from 1870 until 1927, after which it was converted to a dwelling. Pitchcombe Mill was to the east of the village on the Painswick Stream. In 1771 it was a grist mill with three pairs of stones, but seems to have become a cloth mill around 1796. A report to
14592-473: Was constructed around 1785, and had to take account of the mill, with the canal crossing the river to the west of the mill. The mill consists of a central water tower with three ranges attached to it, and was used for cloth production until the early 20th century. In 1948 it became Benson's Tool Works, and has since been converted into offices. After Brimscombe Port, the river turns northwest towards Stroud . The large mill pond that formerly powered Brimscombe Mill
14720-406: Was converted to a house. Brookhouse Mill probably stands on the site of a mill mentioned in 1413. In the 18th century, the Palling family of clothiers were living at Brookhouse, but it is unclear whether they worked the mill. However, it was in use as a cloth mill by 1820, when there was also a dye-house at the site, and a steam engine was acquired in 1822. After a brief spell making umbrella sticks in
14848-458: Was culverted to allow Port Mill to be extended, will be filled in. The river has been used to provide power to mills along much of its length. The furthest upstream was Edgeworth Mill, where there was a mill and house for the miller dating from the 18th century. It was refurbished and extended in the mid-19th century, and later became a farm house. The building has not been changed much since its construction, although there are no obvious remains of
14976-404: Was definitely grinding corn in 1842, when there were two overshot water wheels of 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter, and three steam engines with a combined power of 50 hp (37 kW). The site contained 13 pairs of French mill stones, and was still in use as a corn mill in 1936. It was later destroyed in a fire, and the site is now occupied by a Tesco supermarket. When the Stroudwater Navigation
15104-461: Was no longer under manorial control by 1805, when it was used as a cloth mill. At that time, Benjamin Wood was working it on Eddells' behalf, as Eddells had become bankrupt. It later reverted to grinding corn, before falling out of use in the 1860s. The building was converted to a house in 1926. Just above Eddells Mill, Painswick Stream is joined by a small brook that flows westwards from Overtown. There
15232-406: Was operational by 1849. A portable steam engine drove several circular saws, the largest of which was 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter. Most of the timber was sourced from the local woodland. As well as providing raw timber for use by local industries, at times it produced finished items, including barrel staves which were shipped to Birmingham, wooden block planes and wooden broom heads. Ernest Gimson,
15360-462: Was originally a five-storey L-shaped building, one of the early attempts to build a fireproof building, using a cast iron frame with brick cross vaulting and flagstone floors. Benjamin Gibbons manufactured the iron work, which is of exceptional quality, and the mill survived a major fire in 1884. Because of the quality of the brickwork and ironwork, the building is grade I listed . It was still used in
15488-492: Was out of use by 1968. Shortly afterwards, the river rejoins the northern channel. From its beginning, this runs close to the Stroudwater Navigation and under the buildings which were formerly Ryeford Saw Mill. It then passes under the A419 Ebley Bypass, to reach Upper Mills, built in 1875 for the cloth manufacturer R S Davies. Beyond it, a late 18th century bridge with two segmental arches carries Downton Road over
15616-404: Was owned by Charles Gardner, who was a maltster by trade, and it was worked as a grist mill until the end of the century. It was then used as a corn mill in the early 20th century, and later became a house. Although it is not listed, the building is one of the most attractive small mills in Gloucestershire. Baylis's Upper Mill or Lodge Mill was on the river near to the house called Highgrove, and
15744-428: Was probably associated with a nearby derelict mill. It continues past Damsells Mill, and is joined by the outflow from a lake, fed by springs rising to the east of the river near Beech Farm. The river runs along the eastern and southern edges of Painswick . Loveday's Mill consists of a 17th-century house with a 19th-century mill building, both with two storeys and an attic. Brookhouse Mill is followed by Capp Mill, where
15872-624: Was remodelled in the 1780s and reduced from three storeys to two in 1892. From 1819 to 1891, it was owned by two generations of the Watts family, who were brewers in Stroud and were responsible for creating the arboretum. Since 1936 it has been owned by Stroud District Council, and is now known as the Museum in the Park. Within the park, a miniature railway operated by the Stroud Society of Model Engineers crosses Painswick Stream twice. Work began on
16000-441: Was restored, provision had to be made for the combined flood flow of the Painswick Stream and Slad Brook to bypass Dudbridge Locks, since both had been diverted into the canal bed during the 1950s. Because of the volume of water involved, a hydro-electric scheme was incorporated into the design. The turbine is fed by a 3-foot (900 mm) diameter pipe, which leaves the canal above Dudbridge Upper or Foundry Lock. After passing through
16128-414: Was then a flour mill until sometime after the First World War, when it was demolished. The site of Salmon's Mill is known to have been in use for milling by 1439, although there is no record of what was being milled. It was used as a cloth mill from 1593 until 1799, and was then owned by a series of corn millers until at least 1884. The mill was powered by two wheels, one of 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter, and
16256-432: Was then obtained, and it was used for milling animal feed until the 1920s. There was another small mill called Springs Mill just below it, powered by springs in a small valley, rather than the main river, which was operational between 1802 and 1836. It powered two carding or scribbling machines, and there was a dye-house at the site, but no traces of the mill remain. Kings Mill was operational in 1495, although its purpose at
16384-457: Was well-placed, as the water fell 17 feet (5.2 m) to power the two water wheels. There is no trace of the building left. Damsells Mill was owned by the Gardner family in the 17th century, and was used for dyeing in 1728. It was leased to John Cox in 1812, but the depression in the woollen trade of the 1830s resulted in cloth manufacture ceasing by the end of the decade. From 1854, the building
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