Puck Mill, Oak Inn and Locks
Title
Puck Mill, Oak Inn and Locks
Description
Photographs L - R, T - B:
1. Oak Inn and a derelict Puck Mill.
Looking down on Puck Mill from the valley side below Oakridge c. 1900 - 1912. Buildings from right to left are the Oak Inn, the round teasel-drying house, the derelict Puck Mill and the mill house. Between the mill and round house, a rough track ascends the hill to Frampton signal box, the railway crossing and keeper's cottage, and thence to Frampton Mansell village.
The railway tunnel entrance is roughly in line with the mill house. The mill was purchased by the Canal Co. to safeguard the water supply to its Bakers Mill reservoir. It was a woollen mill and it is believed that the machinery from the mill was transferred to Oakridge Silk Mill when the latter was built c. 1840.
These views are of the GCC restoration work being carried out to the canal and Puck Mill Lower Lock in 1907.
The work was necessary to try to cure the serious leakages from the pound between the two locks. The pictures probably show a very similar scene to those occurring when the canal was first cut.
Note the great wealth of details to be seen in these pictures, such as the clay wagons on a tramway and the method of re-puddling the pound section by section; the portable forge and bench to repair ironwork on the gates; the size of the workforce necessary to carry out such a reconstruction, and the hand tools used by that workforce.
2. Shows some of the workmen who carried out the restoration of sections of the canal bed at Puck Mill. The workmen are repuddling the lock chamber given that, as the Gloucester Journal reported, leakage would empty the lock in four hours!
3. Shows the Lock pound. The clay-puddling gang poses for a photograph. Each man has a clay-grafting tool which was used to work the clay as they trampled it together with their feet.
4. The workforce is lined up for the photograph with their tools of the trade. They are standing alongside the lock chamber on a pile of clay that will be used for puddling the canal bed. The clay was needed in such large quantities here that it was moved about using tubs that ran on rails and it may well have come over in barges from the Furzen Leaze claypit on the other side of the tunnel.
5. is looking East towards The Oak.
6. is of Puck Mill lower lock.
7. is of Puck Mill Pound, looking west.
8. In this view, c. 1895, we see a derelict scene, there is no water and the gates are in a bad state. The Oak, on the left, could only be reached by canal, towpath or a footpath down from Frampton Mansell. It was a true canalside public house for canal and barge people. The towpath changed sides here, over from the right to the left, as seen in this photograph looking down the canal. However, the dereliction was only temporary until the restoration by the Trust.
Oak Inn was the only canal side inn between Chalford and Daneway and was situated adjacent to Puck Mill Bridge.
9. This view, c. 1905, shows the Oak Inn in its isolated location alongside the lock. The lock chamber is out of sight, with only the bottom gates showing above the bridge.
10. Photographed here c. 1920, Mr Samuel and Mrs Emily Elliott were the landlord and landlady and can be seen at the gate. After closure (1922) the building was used as part of Puck Mill Farm but is now restored as a modern house.
11. A view of Oak Inn at Puck Mill c. 1900. The lower gate beam of Puck Mill Upper Lock is visible as is the bridge where the towpath crossed the canal going up.
Mr Peart, with his wife and daughter Alice, are near the doorway. The inn was part of Puck Mill Farm. It is possible that the pile of stone was, at this time, from the demolition of Puck Mill itself.
1. Oak Inn and a derelict Puck Mill.
Looking down on Puck Mill from the valley side below Oakridge c. 1900 - 1912. Buildings from right to left are the Oak Inn, the round teasel-drying house, the derelict Puck Mill and the mill house. Between the mill and round house, a rough track ascends the hill to Frampton signal box, the railway crossing and keeper's cottage, and thence to Frampton Mansell village.
The railway tunnel entrance is roughly in line with the mill house. The mill was purchased by the Canal Co. to safeguard the water supply to its Bakers Mill reservoir. It was a woollen mill and it is believed that the machinery from the mill was transferred to Oakridge Silk Mill when the latter was built c. 1840.
These views are of the GCC restoration work being carried out to the canal and Puck Mill Lower Lock in 1907.
The work was necessary to try to cure the serious leakages from the pound between the two locks. The pictures probably show a very similar scene to those occurring when the canal was first cut.
Note the great wealth of details to be seen in these pictures, such as the clay wagons on a tramway and the method of re-puddling the pound section by section; the portable forge and bench to repair ironwork on the gates; the size of the workforce necessary to carry out such a reconstruction, and the hand tools used by that workforce.
2. Shows some of the workmen who carried out the restoration of sections of the canal bed at Puck Mill. The workmen are repuddling the lock chamber given that, as the Gloucester Journal reported, leakage would empty the lock in four hours!
3. Shows the Lock pound. The clay-puddling gang poses for a photograph. Each man has a clay-grafting tool which was used to work the clay as they trampled it together with their feet.
4. The workforce is lined up for the photograph with their tools of the trade. They are standing alongside the lock chamber on a pile of clay that will be used for puddling the canal bed. The clay was needed in such large quantities here that it was moved about using tubs that ran on rails and it may well have come over in barges from the Furzen Leaze claypit on the other side of the tunnel.
5. is looking East towards The Oak.
6. is of Puck Mill lower lock.
7. is of Puck Mill Pound, looking west.
8. In this view, c. 1895, we see a derelict scene, there is no water and the gates are in a bad state. The Oak, on the left, could only be reached by canal, towpath or a footpath down from Frampton Mansell. It was a true canalside public house for canal and barge people. The towpath changed sides here, over from the right to the left, as seen in this photograph looking down the canal. However, the dereliction was only temporary until the restoration by the Trust.
Oak Inn was the only canal side inn between Chalford and Daneway and was situated adjacent to Puck Mill Bridge.
9. This view, c. 1905, shows the Oak Inn in its isolated location alongside the lock. The lock chamber is out of sight, with only the bottom gates showing above the bridge.
10. Photographed here c. 1920, Mr Samuel and Mrs Emily Elliott were the landlord and landlady and can be seen at the gate. After closure (1922) the building was used as part of Puck Mill Farm but is now restored as a modern house.
11. A view of Oak Inn at Puck Mill c. 1900. The lower gate beam of Puck Mill Upper Lock is visible as is the bridge where the towpath crossed the canal going up.
Mr Peart, with his wife and daughter Alice, are near the doorway. The inn was part of Puck Mill Farm. It is possible that the pile of stone was, at this time, from the demolition of Puck Mill itself.
Files
Citation
“Puck Mill, Oak Inn and Locks,” Oakridge Archives, accessed May 5, 2024, https://oakridgearchives.omeka.net/items/show/430.