Stott Park Bobbin Mill - 1797 to 1984 - Finsthwaite, Cumbria, UK. - Timelines on Waymarking.com

Stott Park Bobbin Mill was built in 1835 at Finsthwaite and is the only surviving example of a Lakeland bobbin mill.
In its heyday it was one of over 100 such mills that operated in the Lake District from the 1780s, supplying the millions of bobbins that were vital to the spinning and weaving industries of the Lancashire textile industry.
Wood from the local birch, ash and sycamore trees was used to make wooden tool handles as well as bobbins. Stott Park worked continuously until 1971 and remains almost identical to its Victorian appearance of 100 years ago.

The timeline is displayed along the wall in the barn and was created by Bivouac, a well-established design company based in central York.

"Bivouac, has created a vibrant graphic scheme, alongside project leaders and 3D scheme designers Leach, to transform the previously run down Coppice Barn into a fresh vibrant space, with interpretation that uses beautiful natural materials, dimension, found objects and a number of cutting-edge print and production techniques. The working mill is situated on the edge of Lake Windermere in a beautiful wooded valley, and the barn is open-sided, so materials and colours were selected to reflect the setting and be hardwearing enough to withstand the elements.
Printed direct to natural ash panels, we used freeform routed ‘threads’ to take the visitor on a journey through the space, connecting the panels and creating a fluid and visually arresting experience. Dimension was added with front-mounted circles, bobbins and end grain samples, as well as the routed lines." SOURCE: (visit link)

Information given on the timeline reads as follows;
Welcome!
Stott Park bobbin mill - a unique survivor

Stott Park bobbin mill began life in 1835. It is one of many such mills that formerly worked in the southern half of the Lake District. Its people made thousands of wooden bobbins for enormous factory mills, mainly situated further south in Lancashire. Each bobbin held cotton thread, mainly on massive mechanical looms that wove it into cotton cloth. The cotton industry grew so large that by 1830 it was responsible for over half of the nation's home-produced exports, and the demand for bobbins was never ending.
Or so it seemed. The industry declined from the end of the 19th century, so mill owner at Stott Park modified the mill to make other turned wooden products for various industries. This ability to adapt ensured that the mill continued working until 1971 - a great survivor among dozens that closed down much earlier.

Today, Stott park bobbin mill is the only one left. A tour is a rewarding experience, revealing Victorian and Edwardian machinery in working order used to make a finished bobbin from a block of wood. This barn, originally filled with wood, houses an exhibition where you can begin to discover what it was like to work in the mill.

1797
The first bobbin mill was built in the Lake District; the first of many over the following years.

Photographs of cotton mills.

1835 - 6
John Harrison, farmer and landowner, built Stott Park bobbin mill to profit from the thriving cotton industry in Lancashire.

1851
Portrait photograph
Harriet Martineau wrote the only account to survive of a Victorian bobbin mill in the Lake District at Horrax mill, Ambleside

1855
The lease of Stott park bobbin mill was taken by Thomas Eyres, husband to Susannah Coward. The Coward family already had two bobbin mills and this was the start of their long involvement at Stott Park.

1858
Williamson Brothers of Kendal began making water turbines in 1856. In 1858, the mill owner Elizabeth Harrison (sister-in-law to the deceased John) placed and order for a water turbine for Stott Park, the 25th made by Williamsons.

1859
Low rainfall nationally caused water shortages; many bobbin mills could not operate and some closed down. Stott park survived.

Photographs

1867 and 1868
Workshops Regulation Act and Factory Act stopped children under 8, then under 10 from working in factories.
But 1859 10-14 continued to work long hours at Stott Park up to 1900 and beyond.
A photograph of children working at Stott park around 1906

1867 and onwards
In Finsthwaite, the Cowards bought cottages and a former inn to house themselves, a larger workforce and a shop.
A photograph of the cottages for mill workers

1867
Thomas Newby Wilson, grandson of John Harrison's sister-in-law inherited the mill and remained the owner until 1915. photograph

1867 and onwards
Elizabeth Coward and her son William took over the lease of Stott Park bobbin mill.

1867 - 80s
Elizabeth and William Coward developed Stott Park mill with new buildings and machinery to increase production and profit.

1869
The Furness Railway established a station at Lakeside, only a mile away. Transport became easier for the mill products- a competitive advantage.
A photograph of Locomotive no3, Furness Railway

1870s
Large scale importation of bobbin wood from Russia, Canada and Scandinavia began.

By 1880
A Bradley steam engine was installed to power machinery at Stott park bobbin mill.

1880s
Competition increased as finished bobbins were imported on a large scale to Great Britain from Scandinavia. Some bobbin mills went out of business.

Photograph - New machinery including some by loacl makers W G Fell, at Stott Park bobbin mill
Photograph - Gilkes of Kendal took over Williamson Brothers in 1881 and expanded water turbine production. A new Gilkes turbine may have been installed at Stott park bobbin mill in the 1880s

1900 onwards
In the face of increasing competition in the bobbin industry, Stott park bobbin mill diversified into new products, particularly handles and shafts for a wide range of tools.

1903
John Coward completed a large new house, The Copse in Finsthwaite, form mill profits. A photograph of the house

1914
The Lancashire cotton industry reached its peak just before the outbreak of the First World War, when it began to decline.

1921
John Coward brought Scott Park bobbin mill, and for the first time the mill manager was also the owner.

1921 - 54
John Coward was mill owner and manager.

A photograph of Pritchards of Manchester. Stott Park bobbin mill retained a wide range of clients, including Pritchards of Manchester, who bought bobbins from the mill for several decades.

1930
A new water turbine, by Armfield of Romsey, was installed at Stott park bobbin mill.

1940
Plastics began to replace wood for bobbins, and Stott Park began a slow decline.

1941
An electric motor was installed at Stott park as the main power source for the machinery.

1943
T R Jenkinson. Thomas worked at Stott park bobbin mill before joining the army. He died in Italy as a POW in 1943. A photograph of Thomas

1954 71
John R M 'Bobby' Coward and Jack Ivison ran the mill until its closure.
A photograph of Jack Ivison

1959
A second electric motor was installed at the mill, and s still working today.

1965
Bradley steam engine at Stott Park bobbin mill: disused after a century of service.
A photograph of the steam engine

1971
Stott park mill closed,
A photograph of Jim Graham, turning one of his last bobbins shortly before the mill closed in 1971. Jim first worked at the mill in 1026.

1974
The mill was given protection as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

1984
Stott Park bobbin mill re-opened as a tourist attraction.

2020
Still making bobbins today.


The mill is Scheduled Monument and the description given by Historic England can be seen at the following link: (visit link)

The mill, now restored as a working industrial monument is owned and run by English Heritage and offers guided tours and steam weekends.
The Victorian machinery that fills the building is still used to drive the cutting, boring and finishing machines than turn long thin poles into bobbins.
You can watch a bobbin being made, and buy a souvenir in the small gift shop selling bobbin related products.

The resident curators give demonstrations and guided tours lasting 45 minutes.
The tours start at 10.30 am and are repeated at half past the hour, every 60 minutes.

In 2014 Stott Park Bobbin Mill was awarded the title of best small visitor attraction at the Cumbria Tourism Awards and went on to win Silver at the national Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2015.

Opening hours and admission prices can be seen at the following website: (visit link)

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Admission fee? (Include URL/link in Long Description to website that gives the current fee): yes

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