Horsley Mill, Stroud
of Nailsworth
Horsley Mill was constructed in the early 19th century by the Playnes of Longfords Mill, another local woollen mill.
1839 Horsley Mill was run by cloth merchants Playne and Smith.
By 1879, John Roberts, a flock merchant, occupied the mill.
1885 As the textile industry declined, H. W. Jones started to manufacture walking sticks in the mill.
1890s E. Beard and Co. took over and continued production. Many of the disused mills in the area turned to walking stick production and exported them around the world.
1910 Surrey Trout Farm purchased Horsley Mill, the mill at Downend and the pond by Millbottom Mill (now Ruskin Mill). The farm changed its name to Midland Fisheries, and continued to farm trout until it went into receivership in 1993. It was purchased by Ruskin Mill Trust along with Horsley Mill and the surrounding ponds and woodland.
The mill race, where the water wheel would have been, was lost in 1972, but the rest of the mill building, the small two-storey wing and the 19th-century house remained.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Ruskin Mill Trust