Snuff Mills – 1920s and 2015 Another childhood destination for a day out was Snuff Mills, reached by a walk from Easton to Eastville Park, past the lake and then along the valley of the Frome, over Whickam Bridge and Broomhill Bridge, along the narrow road past the little chapel and into Snuff Mills Park. A mill has been on this site since the 13th Century and is one of five mills which utilised the rapid waters of the Frome, which drops more than 800 ft between Frenchay and Eastville Park. Despite its popular name, this particular mill, properly called Whitwood Mill, was a corn mill and never ground snuff. The snuff mill and home to the legendary Snuffy Jack was Witherlys Mill, the next one upstream and now reduced to rubble. In the mid-19th Century a steam engine added to the motive power of Whitwood Mill, which helped power a stone saw cutting up Pennant stone from the quarry behind the mill. The chimney for the steam engine can be seen in the 1920s photo which also shows the extensive premises consisting of the mill building with three mill lofts, a stable, piggeries, wagon house and sheds, house, orchard and quarry. There was also the 12 horse-power undershot water wheel, familiar to thousands of children over the years. The Corporation purchased the park and its buildings in 1926 for 1,000 guineas and because of their poor state most of the side buildings were demolished and the mill itself was reduced to one storey. A ranger’s house was built in 1936. None of this mattered to us kids paddling in the Frome, fishing for tiddlers, skimming stones across the water by the weir or watching the water dripping off the slowly turning moss-covered water wheel. As today’s photo shows, thanks to the efforts of the City Parks Dept and the volunteers of the Bristol Industrial Archeological Society, some of the original mill machinery has been restored and is on show under the rebuilt two storey mill building. The Frome Valley and Snuff Mills Park remains a lovely place for family day-out. (Then photo c/o Paul Townsend https://flickr/photos/brizzlebornandbred/2040008233/in/set-72157614212606759 )
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 21:05:08 +0000
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