Talks are held at the Conquest theatre in Bromyard unless otherwise specified – everyone is welcome; members free (a booking password will be emailed prior to the event), guests £7.00 unless otherwise stated on event. It would be helpful if you can pre-book before the event via this link. This saves queuing at the box office before the start of the talk. Even though there is no charge for members, a complete list of those attending is required for fire safety reasons.
Dunkirk Woollen Mill & Gigg Mill weaving shed – Provisional date
Dunkirk Mill Museum is part of a large mill site (now residential accommodation), reached by an attractive walk from the Egypt Mill complex in Nailsworth down the former railway track, past the restored mill pond.
The museum, which has achieved Full Accreditation from Arts Council England, offers a wonderful opportunity to see a massive working waterwheel directly powering historic textile machinery. The overshot wheel, twelve feet wide and thirteen feet in diameter, was installed in the mill in 1855 as part of the last major re-building programme carried out during its time as a woollen mill. It was made and installed by James Ferrabee of Stroud, having a mainly cast iron frame with forty steel buckets. The wheel is operated regularly on opening days (subject to water supply), and the sight of the wheel starting to move in a powerful cascade of water is unforgettable.
An early 19th-century mechanical cloth-shearing machine known as a cross-cutter is on display. This machine spent its working life at Wallbridge Mill, down the valley near Stroud. The museum also houses an exhibition showing the historic development of the Dunkirk Mills site during the 18th and 19th centuries.
At the museum, the waterwheel will run and the guides will demonstrate all the intricate machinery that was used to finish the cloth after it left the loom. However, please be aware that our ability to run the waterwheel depends on the level of water in the Nailsworth Stream. During periods of very low rainfall, the waterwheel may be out of action.
Talks are held at the Conquest theatre in Bromyard unless otherwise specified – everyone is welcome; members free, guests £7.00 unless otherwise stated on event. It would be helpful if you can pre-book before the event via this link. This saves queuing at the box office before the start of the talk. Even though there is no charge for members, a complete list of those attending is required for fire safety reasons.