IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hyde, STROUD, GL6 8NZ

View into the Golden Valley from above Hyde.

North of the Cirencester Road in an area known as the Hyde. Off an u/c road opposite the Old Farmhouse, on Gloucestershire footpath MMH136 looking NW. The view from the SE, showing the large drop is Image

North of the Cirencester Road in an area known as the Hyde. Off an u/c road opposite the Old Farmhouse, looking SE on Gloucestershire footpath MMH136. The view from the road above is Image

on the towpath of the Thames & Severn canal Walbridge 3½ / Inglesham 25¼ Milestone Society National ID: TSC-03½

This house is next to St Mary's Mill and is almost certainly the mill owner's house. Much money was once made out of textiles in south-west England and there are many fine houses to be found, some with attached domestic scale workshops/factories. This was photographed from the public footpath that crosses this site.

The survivor of two breast shot waterwheels in this mill. This is a breast shot wheel with a rim drive through speed increasing gearing to a large pulley that drove the floors of the mill above. It is claimed that the two wheels developed 30 horsepower together. This wheel last turned in the 1940s and the severe wear on the gear teeth suggest it wouldn't have worked for much longer without replacement of the rim drive. The framework that supported the second wheel's drive gears is seen in the background. The photograph is a mixture of time and flash as the foreground gearing and the inside of the wheel were very dark. You can see that the mill is not fireproof with cast iron columns supporting wooden floors. There are a few open days per year and visits must be prebooked.

The main mill dates largely from the 19th century although there was a fulling mill here in 1548. These buildings have been used for flock, woollen cloth and walking stick manufacture. The main block contains a stationary steam engine and a large waterwheel. There are occasional open days and an electric motor drive now turns the steam engine over.

Tangye & Co Ltd, Birmingham horizontal side by side compound engine, apparently of the 'Belfast' type. Built c1897 and installed secondhand in 1904 by the Chalford Stick Company - manufacturers of walking sticks. The slide valve cylinders are 13" & 25" x 24" stroke and the high pressure was equipped with Tangye-Johnson patent cut-off gear, later disconnected. The Porter type governor latterly operated a throttle valve. The rope drive flywheel is 11' 3" diameter and the engine was rated at 160 horsepower at 90 rpm. An electric motor drive has been installed for the 2012 season and it can now be seen turning over slowly. There are a few open days per year and visits must be prebooked. I was delighted to be able to arrange to see this as it must be 15 or more years since my last visit.

Tangye & Co Ltd, Birmingham horizontal side by side compound engine, apparently of the 'Belfast' type. Built c1897 and installed secondhand in 1904 by the Chalford Stick Company - manufacturers of walking sticks. The slide valve cylinders are 13" & 25" x 24" stroke and the high pressure was equipped with Tangye-Johnson patent cut-off gear, later disconnected. The Porter type governor latterly operated a throttle valve. The rope drive flywheel is 11' 3" diameter and the engine was rated at 160 horsepower at 90 rpm. An electric motor drive has been installed for the 2012 season and it can now be seen turning over slowly. There are a few open days per year and visits must be prebooked. I was delighted to be able to arrange to see this as it must be 15 or more years since my last visit.

Tangye & Co Ltd, Birmingham horizontal side by side compound engine, apparently of the 'Belfast' type. Built c1897 and installed secondhand in 1904 by the Chalford Stick Company - manufacturers of walking sticks. The slide valve cylinders are 13" & 25" x 24" stroke and the high pressure was equipped with Tangye-Johnson patent cut-off gear, later disconnected. The Porter type governor latterly operated a throttle valve. The rope drive flywheel is 11' 3" diameter and the engine was rated at 160 horsepower at 90 rpm.