Archive - Thursday, 2 May 2002


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Project puts new spin on water wheel

THE STORY of a rare water wheel turned full circle this week when it was officially unveiled after lying idle for around 50 years.

Dame Margaret Weston, former director of the Science Museum visited Dunkirk Mill, Nailsworth for the opening ceremony, which was the culmination of four years of hard work, led by the Stroudwater Textile Trust.

The impressive 13ft diameter wheel will now be open for the public to see in action on selected days, churning 90 gallons of water in each of its 40 buckets.

It was installed in 1855 at a cost of £250 to power a machine which raised the nap of the cloth on a teazle raising gig next-door.

At that time Stroud was famous for its woollen mills and although the gig last turned in the 1930s the water wheel finally stopped around 1950.

Four years ago Stroudwater Textile Trust and Nailsworth mayor John Nicholson teamed up to try and restore the wheel and gig, while Dunkirk Mill was being transformed in to flats.

The trust spent more than 700 man-hours and a £9,000 lottery grant on the restoration, employing Michael Wilson Restorations to do some of the work.

"We had to work out how to run the machinery," said Ian Mackintosh, director of Stroudwater Textile Trust. "A lot of it was still there but it was like a big jigsaw puzzle.

"It is now the only example of textile machinery powered by water in the south west."

He added that for the full historical industrial experience, visitors should leave their cars at Egypt Mill and take the short walk down the former railway line to Dunkirk Mill.

The wheel and gig will be in operation and open to the public to view on weekends, bank holidays noon to 4pm and Wednesdays, 2pm to 4pm.

For more details call 01453 766273.