The Mike Davies-Shiel Collection includes over 1200 items on the bobbin-making industry. Mike took photos of anything and everything that would help in his research – maps, original documents, newspaper adverts, old photographs etc.. Here is a small selection of photos from the many he took on site in the 1960s and later of the remains of a once thriving industry.
Click on this link to a map of where the wood turning mills were located.
Click on this link to see a drawing of one of them – Stock Force in Ambleside.
Click here to find out more about woodland industries, including bobbin-making.
-
-
Wood turning products, 1988 (57-29)
-
-
Staveley, 1988 – products (1-241)
-
-
Staveley, 1985 – reels (1-239)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 – bobbins and birch (1-110)
-
-
Gatefoot, Staveley, 1971 – door knobs (1-32)
-
-
Troutbeck Bridge, 1993 – sale of Fell’s machinery (1-20)
-
-
Troutbeck Bridge, 1993 – sale of Fell’s machinery (1-14)
-
-
Bobbins, 1973 (57-24)
-
-
Ambleside, 1977 – 1940 weir (51-75)
-
-
Flakebridge, Appleby, 1973 – saw mill interior (1-26)
-
-
Broughton Mills, n.d. (120-226)
-
-
Sprint Mill, Burneside, 1993 (68-22)
-
-
Caldbeck Howk, 1982 – timber seasoning shed (23-157)
-
-
Caldbeck Howk, 1982 (23-159)
-
-
Caldbeck Howk, 1987 – two seater loo (23-183)
-
-
Birch Mill, Crook, 1976 (72-40)
-
-
Coniston High, 1980 (19-249)
-
-
Coniston Low, 1980 (1-80)
-
-
Crooklands, 1985 (78-43)
-
-
Cunsey, 1990 – drying kiln (120-258
-
-
Cunsey,, 1990 – coppice shed (120-251)
-
-
Cunsey, 1990 (55-37)
-
-
Eskdale, 1986 (1-201)
-
-
Eskdale, 1986 (1-199)
-
-
Force Forge South, 1967 (55-92)
-
-
Force Forge South, 1996 (1-188)
-
-
Force Forge North, 1967 – coppice shed pillars (1-169)
-
-
Garnett Bridge, 2002 (68-90)
-
-
Hawkshead Hill, 1967 – 26′ wheel (1-118)
-
-
Howtown, Ullswater, 1971 (1-37)
-
-
Keswick, Brigham Forge, 1987 (24-227)
-
-
Keswick Low Briery, 1971 (47-67)
-
-
Nibthwaite, 1962 (1-152)
-
-
Nibthwaite, 1972 (88-186)
-
-
Holmescales, Old Hutton, 1985 (78-5)
-
-
Skelwith Bridge, 1967 – headrace to turbine (79-64)
-
-
Skelwith Bridge, 1967 (79-58)
-
-
Spark Bridge, 1967 (60-23)
-
-
Spark Bridge, 1983 (60-51)
-
-
Spark Bridge, 1983 (60-46)
-
-
Oakbank, 1964 -drying bobbins (55-14)
-
-
Oakbank, 1964 – mill dam (55-11)
-
-
Oakbank, 1964 (1-100)
-
-
Oakbank, 1964 (1-97)
-
-
Old Hutton, 1985 (57-17)
-
-
Santon Bridge, 1970 (1-144)
-
-
Gatefoot, Staveley, 1975 (69-1)
-
-
Low Mill, Staveley, 1992 – semi auto reel machine (70-90)
-
-
Low Mill, Staveley, 1992 – sander (70-78)
-
-
Low Mill, Staveley, 1990 – sluicegates (70-58)
-
-
Low Mill, Staveley, 1990 (70-55)
-
-
Low Mill, Staveley, 1993 – semi auto reel blocker (55-55)
-
-
Paxton’s Mill, Staveley, 1965 (55-50)
-
-
Rawes Mill, Staveley, 1966 (69-16)
-
-
Stocks, Skelsmergh, 1964 (55-27)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 (56-61)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 – finishing lathe (56-35)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 – tools (56-31)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 – lathe floor (56-29)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 – polishing barrels (55-88)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 (43-85)
-
-
Stott Park, 1967 (43-84)
-
-
Stott Park, 1989 – saw bench and crane (56-17)
-
-
Thickholm, 1967
-
-
Thickholm, 1971 (1-155)
-
-
Sunnybank, Torver, 1965 (1-164)
-
-
Troutbeck Bridge, 1967 (91-151)
-
-
Ulpha, 1973 (1-131)
-
-
Ulpha, 1994 (1-135)
-
-
Low Mill, Underbarrow, 1967 (81-65)
-
-
Low Mill, Underbarrow, 2003 (120-97)