To return to Geographic Index click on ‘Mills’ above.

SLHS: Lucy’s Mill

The very pleasant, slow flowing river that we now enjoy was a very large leat and mill pond.

Engravings show that there always was a reasonable drop in level at the mill which flooded badly in winter. Therefore a weir and overflow bypass route must have existed for a very long time and this left the islands that we now see to this day.

Mill Lane (the far side of the Holy Trinity Church)

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

Lucy’s Mill. Notice the silos to the left.      1952

Fulling Mill

The ancient process of Fulling, walking, tucking or pandying (Welsh) involved the removal of lanolin from woven wool cloth by beating with mechanically driven clubs in a warm soapy solution. Such cloth would have a finer finish. During the process it would shrink and thus not do so when got wet when being worn. If this is done to linen or cotton it is called Beetling. If done between rollers and high temperature and pressure it is called Calendering (invented by the Chinese).

If the garment was to be artificially coloured it was normally bleached beforehand. The process is mentioned in the Bible. The Romans had slaves tread the fabric in lant (stale urine). In the mediaeval period certain clays were found to be beneficial for this hence the name Fuller’s Earth (aluminium silicate).

Afterwards the cloth was stretched between tenterhooks (hence the name) and dried.

In order to make the fabric softer a process first called gigging was employed where plant teasels (Dipsacus Fullonum -notice the name) were brushed across the surface. During industrialisation these would be attached to a wheel to speed up the process. Of course they would wear out quickly and so wire was substituted and the name too: to Carding. Hence Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire.

For most fabrics the carding was strictly controlled and the amount of raised fabric is known as the nap. Uniformity becomes even more important in modern competitive sports eg snooker.

Lucy’s Mill    ~1770    Edward Grubb

Lucy’s Mill    1795    by Samuel Ireland

Tragedy Strikes

Due to their wooden construction and the amount of friction that wooden bearings suffer wind and water mill fires are an ever existing problem. A devastating one occurred here in 1941.

Moving With The Times

After the terrible fire the mill was rebuilt but the decision was taken to completely modernise all the facilities using electric power. Modern silos were built and further served by the railway.

Constructions

We have not ascertained who built the first mill however the first mention of one is in 1086. Come the 13th century one fulling and three grain mills had been constructed.

Sir Thomas Lucy, JP and pro-active Protestant (b1532) left a great deal of money to his descendants. One of them, George Lucy, built Charlecote House. His son, another Thomas Lucy, bought the mill.

Later his son, Charles Lucy (b1799) took over running it with his nephew/son-in-law Thomas Belcher Lucy and renamed the business "Lucy and Nephew". Charles was a Mayor of Stratford. The mill continued to prosper through the 1800s.

Continuous Expansion

By the end of the thirteenth century the fulling mill had moved elsewhere. Records of the businesses undertaken here show that that location conferred itself well to milling. By continuous improvement and increasing the number of processes it became the most important in the area.

Flats

In 1973 the same story that repeated itself throughout Europe saw all the mill buildings pulled down and replaced by Corn Mill Flats. Some years later the name Lucy’s Mill was re-applied them.

Future ?

We are pleased to know that the path for a modest flow of river water still exists. Given the imperative of climate change might some bright spark think of putting a modern turbine down there to give residents cheap, and an environmental form of, energy ? This, of course, benefits from the highest water flow in winter when one needs it most.

A utopian future perhaps ?

Mill and new silos served by LMS    1960.

Lucy’s Mill     1915

Slow Demise

British wheat yields could be good but the best was imported from North America. This arrived, via the ship canal to Manchester. Both mills and baking facilities there were huge. The competition was just too strong and by the late 1960s the Stratford’s mill was closed. This only added to the railway company’s poor profits and soon the railway was closed.

Lucy’s Mill     1885

Lucy’s Mill    2023

Present Day

Fire In The Forties

Lucy Family Millers

Always Had Been Successful