Mill Stream Signs
In past times the River Axe was important locally owing to the number of mills along it. To celebrate this Mill Stream Signs are being erected.
Mill Stream Villages Some History and Background
The River Axe starts its journey at Wookey Hole. It is the same source that has created the caves. If you trace its course on a map, you will see it flows toward Wookey, but below Henley a weir (highover Clyse) splits the flow in two. The diverted water is labelled on the map as ‘The Lower River Axe’ and it is this water, technically a leat, that forms the Mill Stream. It has over recent centuries driven a series of Mills in “The Mill Stream Villages (and hamlets) of Wookey, Worth, Yarley, Henton and Bleadney. After Bleadney the water flows north along the former bed of the River Brue passed the Marchey” and joins the River Axe again. The flow not diverted at the weir continues through Wookey village as the River Axe. You will see this flow goes north west round Knowle Hill then west to join the Lower River Axe.
Over the last 300 plus years there have been up to 13 Mills on the River axe starting at Wookey Hole and many were making paper. There was a great demand for paper in Wells for commercial and administrative needs and of course the Cathedral meant further ecclesiastical demand. Specialist papers are still made at St Cuthberts Mill. Paper making can be traced back at Wookey Hole to about 1610 with most of the other mills operating from the mid 1700s and after. A history of paper and the mills around Wells can be found at http://www.sanhs.org/Documents/153/Luker.pdf The St Cuthberts Mill also have their own website at http://www.stcuthbertsmill.com/index.asp and its history is in “Mill 364” Papermaking at St Cuthberts” in the Public Library
Lower Mill Bleadney
The other mill still active is Burcott Mill where wholemeal flour is still ground and baking happens most weekdays; loaves are available from the Post Office now operating from a building on the Burcott Mill site. The building that was Bleadney Old Mill has recently undergone major rebuilding work and no longer functions as a mill although for a time it used a water turbine to power a generator to make electricity.
Interestingly, The British Association of Paper Historians was not formed until 1989; 500 years after paper making started in Britain. Its second annual meeting in September 1990 came to Wookey Hole, visiting Wookey Hole Mill and St Cuthberts Mill. Full details are found at http://baph.org.uk/events.html
You are reminded that Burcott Mill has regular demonstrations at the Mill usually on Wednesday afternoons at 3:00pm. For full details see http://burcottmill.com/mill.aspx
No one is quite sure when the channel that is “The Mill Stream” was dug but it has been said that it may date back to the Romans. Studies of the 11th Century and later records indicate that Burcott Mill and Bleadney Old Mill (and indeed Wookey Hole Mill) were included in the Bishop’s properties in Domesday Book of 1086.
Burcott Mill
The Mill Stream Villages and Their Signs.
As can be seen from the above there is history to be celebrated and the possible unique aspect of 5 villages (hamlets) all joined by a single manmade flow of water gives us the opportunity to provide a sign that links them. The picture of a mill was the most popular image suggested. This tradition of having a village sign is spreading across the country, although in the westerly counties it has yet to become as popular as in the east where Lincolnshire have about 300, Norfolk has over 600, Suffolk nearly 450, Essex 300 and Kent 350. The only county nearby that has a significant number is Devon with over 100. Some of the signs seen in Norfolk and South Lincolnshire are pictured in the folder of the “Extremities Walks” undertaken by Peter Gatenby and first brought the matter to his attention. For those interested in seeing other signs, visit The Village Sign Society at http://www.villagesignsociety.org.uk/
Bleadney Mill
History-board to be erected at Burcott Mill and Henton Hall