Coldharbour Mill Working Wool Museum

Coldharbour Mill is a Georgian Spinning Mill built by Thomas Fox and opened in 1799, bringing the Industrial Revolution in the Woolen Industry to Uffculme and Devon.

The Fox family continued to own and run the Mill until its closure in 1981. Initially woollen yarn was spun on Jennies and Mules until replaced by the worsted spinning process in 1865 when steam power was introduced.

A local Trust took over the Mill in 1982 and re-opened it as a Museum. The Mill building is unaltered since 1865 and much of the spinning machinery dates from the early 20th century. The waterwheel was in use until the 1970's and the horizontal steam engine powered the Mill until its closure in 1981. Both are running again and a Beam Engine contemporary to the one Fox's installed, was obtained (through the Science Museum), and is also steaming regularly.

A tour of the Mill can therefore demonstrate the textile process from fleece to finished yarn (which is turned into knitting wool) and how the Mill was powered through its almost 200 year life.

The Museum has also installed a weaving annex using machines from Fox's weaving shed in Wellington, allowing the demonstration of power loom weaving: woollen stair runner and yarn tartan cloth.

On non-steam days, visitors may explore the Boiler and Steam Engine Houses and the Millyard also contains a Gas retort House (which produced coal gas lighting) and a Carpentar's Workshop.

Visiotrs can enjoy a meal or snack in the Gill Box Restaurant , next to the Mill, as well as a range of other fibre related products supplied by John Arbon Textiles.

Opening times: 10.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday, plus weekends between Easter and October half term. Restaurant open 10.00am to 5.00pm seven days throughout the year.

Opening Times

Coldharbour Mill Working Wool Museum 1 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2010

Tickets Information

Guided Tour of mill for Groups of 20 or more: £6.00 per person (Tour + Meal offer available - please enquire).

Road Directions

Follow signs to Uffculme from junction 27 on M5 and from A38 (Taunton to Exeter) Brown signs show location:- Mill vicinity.

Public Transport Directions

nearsest rail Station Tiverton Parkway. Buses from Rail Station, exeter/Cullompton and Taunton/Wellington - Ask to be dropped at Coldharbour, Uffculme. (2 mins walk).

 Facilities

• Accept Children over 7

Provider Preferences

• In countryside
• Indoor Attraction
• No Smoking Attraction
• Of historic, literary or architectural interest
• Village Location

Accessibility

• Accept Children Over 3
• Guide Dogs Permitted - Handlers should be aware that some of the machinery is loud.
• Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
• Toilets for Disabled Visitors

Parking & Transport

• Coach Parking
• On site parking
• Parking (free)

Catering

• On-Site café/restaurant - Licensed restaurant, for 60 max, open during museum hours, tel: (01884) 840960. Coffees, lunches, cream teas.
• Picnic Site
• Restaurant

Payment Methods

• American Express accepted
• Approx length of visit - 2hrs
• Blue Badge Guides admitted free
• Can be packages by 3rd parties
• Delta accepted
• Groups Accepted - Essential to prebook.Pre-booking preferred.
• MasterCard accepted
• Max group size - 75
• Min group size - 20
• Open by appointment outside normal opening times
• Solo accepted
• Special group rates
• TIC Staff Admitted Free
• Visa accepted

Establishment Features

• Event venue
• Toilets

Specialist Features

• Family Fun - Special Guests
• Marketed towards families

Printed Material in Foreign Languages

• Dutch printed material
• French printed material
• German printed material
• Japanese printed material

Tours and Demonstrations

• Demonstrations Given
• Educational Visits Accepted
• Guided Tours Available for Groups