What is a bobbin? Call me ignorant but before I visited this place, I have no idea. Now I know it is a cylinder commonly made of wood, on which thread is wound. It can also be used for wire and film. There are many old mills around in UK but Stott Park still has working machinery in amazing condition!
Admission is by guided tour only. The guide will explain and show you the process of the making a bobbin. During the tour, get a feel of working around dangerous machinery during the 19th century. Some of the machinery has no protective barriers or safety mechanisms and they can slice off your fingers in a spilt second. The tour also demonstrates making bobbins using the same machinery that the mill had been using before it closed down. Overall the tour is very educational and if you are in the Lake District, it is totally worth it to spend time here.
Globenomads review ratings: 4/5 Very educational. (please refer to ratings explanation)
Visitor information English Heritage property, EH members free Admission: Adults: £4.80, Children: £2.40, Concessions: £4.10, Family Ticket: £12.00 Free parking
I have marked out the correction location of the mill. As usual the standard of Google Maps in UK is appalling.
Bobbins of different types and sizes
The guide told us something interesting about the phrase “knocking off” from work. If you look carefully at the right side there is a long belt which connects to the main engine at the upper end and at the lower end, it is connected to a set of gears. The phrase knock off originates from people working in a mill where at the end of a working shift, they would use the wooden handle to knock the belt from the “connected” gear to the “free” gear. This is similar to using the clutch to engage the gears while driving.
Horizontal steam engine, still in good condition.
This gentleman used to work in this mill.
This is a waxing drum, used to wax the surface of the bobbin.
Stott Park Bobbin Mill
28th May 2010 – Day 5 of May roadtrip
What is a bobbin? Call me ignorant but before I visited this place, I have no idea. Now I know it is a cylinder commonly made of wood, on which thread is wound. It can also be used for wire and film. There are many old mills around in UK but Stott Park still has working machinery in amazing condition!
Admission is by guided tour only. The guide will explain and show you the process of the making a bobbin. During the tour, get a feel of working around dangerous machinery during the 19th century. Some of the machinery has no protective barriers or safety mechanisms and they can slice off your fingers in a spilt second. The tour also demonstrates making bobbins using the same machinery that the mill had been using before it closed down. Overall the tour is very educational and if you are in the Lake District, it is totally worth it to spend time here.
Globenomads review ratings: 4/5
Very educational.
(please refer to ratings explanation)
Visitor information
English Heritage property, EH members free
Admission: Adults: £4.80, Children: £2.40, Concessions: £4.10, Family Ticket: £12.00
Free parking
View Stott Park Bobbin Mill in a larger map
Bobbins of different types and sizes