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Portrait of
a Parish - Page 18
Tucking Mill
The name of this hamlet is obviously taken from a process in
the woollen industry known as "tucking" or "fulling", in which
woven cloth was hammered and felted with water-driven "stocks".
The wool was cleaned with a natural detergent clay called
Fullers Earth, which was found locally. Although the mill
building was demolished in 1931, the Fullers Earth clay works
was rebuilt as a processing works for this material, which after
refining, was packed into sacks for export by rail from Midford
Station. The Bath firm which owned these works, The Fuller's
Earth Union, closed it down shortly after the second world war
and the 80 foot chimney was demolished along with the rest of
the buildings.
Past
Fullers Earth Works - now demolished
The demolition of all the old buildings enabled the millpond
to be enlarged into a storage lake or reservoir, which in the
Year of the Disabled in 1981, moved Wessex Water to develop the
site as a lake for use by disabled anglers and to encourage
wildlife. Wessex Water has now set up their regional
headquarters at the top of Brassknocker Hill.
Present
Fishing lake for use by the disabled
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