Off the Beaten Track in Somerset: April 2023

Wednesday 19 April 2023

Stoates Mill, Watchet

Stoates Mill was built in Anchor Street in Watchet in 1832 as a replacement for Little Silver Mill, which was further upstream. It was leased by brothers William and Thomas Stoate. It expanded in the mid-19th century and eventually had ten pairs of water-powered grinding stones. Grain was imported via the port of Watchet and after milling the flour and bran were exported mainly to South Wales.

By 1877 Thomas Stoate had left the business to become a grain merchant. William was joined in the business by his sons William, John and James. A water turbine and steam engine were added in 1885. In 1903 a new turbine was installed. In 1911 a fire damaged most of the mill and the company moved their business to Temple Back Bristol. Stoate & Sons is still in business (now at Shaftesbury 'in Dorset), with the great-great-great grandson of the first William Stoate now running the business.

In 1916 the derelict mill was acquired by the Exmoor Paper and Bag Company, who bought the paper bag plant that had been operating at the nearby Wansbrough Mill. Water power was used at the mill until 1927 when a Gilkes Vortex turbine was installed. This was manufactured by Gilbert Gilkes of Kendal in Cumbria. It was rated at 45 HP and turned at 200 rpm to drive the electrical generator, which powered the works.

The Exmoor Paper and Bag Company used the mill until 1977. The mill buildings were then used by various companies, including Watchet Products Fancy Goods Limited, which was founded in 1978. It made melamine products there but closed down in 1991. The mill buildings were sold on a couple of times but gradually fell into a state of disrepair. Planning permission for conversion of the mill buildings to residential use was granted in 2013 and building work began in 2016. It was completed in 2018.

Preserved Gilkes Vortex Turbine

Stoates Mill in 2022

Stoates Mill, 2022

Sunday 2 April 2023

Leighland Chapel

Leighland Chapel was built in 1861-2 on the site of a medieval chapel. It was designed by C.E. Giles and is dedicated to St Giles. The medieval chapel was in existence by 1320 and in 1548 it was noted that there was a Lyland Chapel in the parish. The vicarage of Leighland Chapel was united with the rectory of Treborough in 1950 and the livings of Old Cleeve, Leighland Chapel and Treborough were merged in 1955. They are now in a benefice with St Luke's, Roadwater and St Mary's, Washford.

Leighland Chapel contains some interesting features, including a wooden bench end with a bird and acorns design carved into it, a lectern with a vine leaves and grapes carved on it and medieval tiles around the base of the font. The reredos, capitals and pulpit were decorated with passion flowers and foliage by Rachel Reckitt (1908-1995). Rachel was an artist and sculptor who lived at Golsoncott near Roadwater. She produced many works of art for several of the local churches, including Rodhuish, Old Cleeve, Carhampton and Withycombe.

There is a notice at the back of the church explaining Leighland Chapel's connection with Dom Philip Powel, who was one of the Tyburn Martyrs. He was born in Wales in 1594, became a monk at Douai in France but returned to England in 1622 after he was ordained. He lived with the Ponytz family at Leigh Barton for 20 years. Although he was a Roman Catholic, he preached at the old chapel in Leighland, as he was a friend of the priest-in-charge there. He tried to leave England during the English Civil War but was captured, tried, found guilty of "being a monk, and staying in the country contrary to the law. He was executed at Tyburn on 16th June 1646.