Wellington

Wellington is small country town, situated between the River Tone and the Blackdown Hills, was mentioned in the Domesday Book which recorded that land at ‘Walintone’ and West Buckland was being worked by 61 farmers, 65 smallholders and 32 cerfs. Even earlier than that there is reference to ‘Weolingtun’ in a grant made between 899 and 909. Once a hamlet in the prosperous valley of the Tone, it attracted travellers from the ancient Old Way to the west to its church, and by the 14th century had become a market town and a borough. By the 16th century there is evidence of the growing importance of the cloth trade both as a cottage industry and at mills such as Bishops Fulling Mill. At Pinksmoor Mills to the west of the town lived a John Were who was the forefather of the Weres and Foxes that, together with the families of Elworthy, Southey and Price, were to bring such growth and prosperity to Wellington with their mills and factories during the 18th and 19th centuries. Wellington Park, which was given to the town by the Fox family in 1903, has recently been restored and is an important example of late Victorian design. Today the town features a wide range of small traditional and specialist shops and a number of cafes and pubs.

Wellington Somerset

Wellington Basins is complex system of waterways and ponds, developed around the existing Westford Stream and the Rockwell Green Stream, provides a fascinating glimpse into part of the industrial history of the area. The two large ponds, together with improved streams, new channels and various weirs and sluices, were excavated by Thomas Fox between 1801 and 1803 to enable a constant and controllable water supply to his woollen mills at Tonedale. Having inherited Tone Mills from the Were family in 1796, he expanded the business by buying the Old Town (flour) Mills at Tonedale for conversion, and over the next few years proceeded to modernise the works with complex new machinery which required two water wheels for power. The introduction of steam power in 1840 led to the demise of the water wheels, but the Basins were kept operational in case one day they might prove useful again. As the mills declined during the 20th century the Basins also slowly decayed. In 1978 a Basins Preservation Society was formed to restore the waterways, and it is now a valuable place for recreation and wildlife.

Westford Here is an impressive mill hamlet with various factory blocks and buildings used previously as the manager’s house and the workers’ institute. These were the premises of Elworthy Brothers, started by Thomas Elworthy in 1780 who set up a small worsted mill on the Westford Stream employing local spinners. The business prospered and expanded throughout the 19th century, adding Prowse’s Mill upstream, improved water supply and reservoirs, and introducing steam power. Nearby is the Pumping Station built in 1886 with two steam powered ram pumps, later to be driven by two diesel engines. Woollen manufacturing by the Elworthy Brothers ceased in 1934. Part of the leat and reservoir created to supply water to the mill’s water wheel has now developed into a valuable aquatic habitat for wildlife. Prowse’s Mill is a three-storey Red Sandstone textile mill was built by Thomas Elworthy in about 1800 with a leat to connect it to his other factories at Westford. The chimney is mid to late 19th century. In1890 a red brick block to house a powerful steam engine was added to the east side, and remains of this can still be seen.

St.John the Baptist, Wellington

For many year villages in this part of the County endeavoured to frighten the devil away to the neighbouring village, this was also practiced in Wellington, on the Feast of St.Peter and St.Paul . Once each year the people met in the churchyard and formed a ring round the church. They advanced towards the church, on the side opposite the door the ring broke, the two leaders going straight to the wall followed by the others. Having all re-grouped at the entrance they gave three shouts. This was known as "clipping the tower" Holywell Stream flows into the River Tone and provides good wildlife habitats. An area on the opposite side of the stream to the footpath has been designated a County wildlife Site. The ‘Holy Well’ made use of the large underground lake that is known to exist in the area, and from which the leat for the Westford mills was sourced.

The Grand Western Canal was a short-lived canal and was one of the few canals in the country to employ mechanised lifts and inclines to overcome steep hills. Following the route of the canal from Wellington on the right a disused quarry and to the left the River Tone. The ruins on the right are those of the former Winsbeer Lift keeper’s cottage. At the end of the canal embankment is the site of the Winsbeer Lift which had a drop of 5.5 metres. At this point the canal bed comes to an abrupt stop. Once a hamlet in the prosperous valley of the Tone, Wellington attracted travellers from the ancient Old Way to the west to its church, and by the 14th century had become a market town and a borough. By the 16th century there is evidence of the growing importance of the cloth trade both as a cottage industry and at mills such as Bishops Fulling Mill. At Pinksmoor Mills to the west of the town lived a John Were who was the forefather of the Weres and Foxes that, together with the families of Elworthy, Southey and Price, were to bring such growth and prosperity to Wellington with their mills and factories during the 18th and 19th centuries. Wellington Park which was given to the town by the Fox family in 1903, has recently been restored and is an important example of late Victorian design.

 Wellington Memorial

www.wellingtonsomerset.com

Contributed by:  Liz Franklin