1836
Joseph Dover bought 9 acres (for £490) on which to build a mill with Farfield Mill being completed in 1837
1838
Joseph Dover died, his two sons John and James Dover ran the Mill successfully. The First Mill spun wool and had 6 looms.
1851
The 'Row' was built for workers at a cost of £368, 8 shillings and 8 pence
©Sedbergh History Society
1857
Newspaper article says that Farfield employed 200 knitters at Dent and that some wool had been stolen! (see newspaper articles)
© The British Library Board. All rights reserved. With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
1879
John Dover died and his two sons Edward and Thomas took over. (John Dover obituary)
©Westmorland Gazette
1896
The water wheel was replaced by a vortex water turbine installed by Gilbert Gilkes and Co.
Vortex Turbine (with cover off)
This image is of a turbine which was installed at Gayle Mill.
from www.victoianweb.org
1909
Fire at the Mill. Roof and windows went but the structure remained.
©Sedbergh History Society
1910
The Mill was rebuilt and refurbished with the addition of a Lancashire stream boiler being installed.
©Sedbergh History Society
1936
After Edward and Thomas Dover died the company went bankrupt. It was sold to Farfield Spinning Co.
This is an example of a ring spinning machine in Bradford Museum.
Photograph Linda Spashett Storye_book, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1940
As part of the war effort Farfield Mill was requisitioned to make aircraft parts for Armstrong Siddley.
Airspeeed AS.10 Oxford HM954 at Blackbushe 1954
RuthAS, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
1944
The admiralty took over the Mill and used it for storage
1947
The Mill went back to the Farfield Spinning Co.
1950-1966
Associated Dairies made Cheese in some of the buildings at Farfield Mill.
1965
Braithwaites and Co set up Mealbank Woollens and brought machinary from Mealbank Mill Kendal including spinners, twisting frames and Dobcross Looms
1980
Pennine Tweeds was set up by David Douglas and then taken over by David Hinton in 1983. (Pennine tweeds)
1992
Fabric was woven commercially for the last time in October 1992.
©Westmorland Gazette
1993
Sedbergh and District Building Preservation Trust was set up to preserve the Mill Buildings
2001
Farfield Mill Arts and heritage Centre was opened
©YDNP
2018
Farfield Mill became a community Benefit Society with over 700 members
Heritage
The preservation of Farfield Mill has given the opportunity to present its history from its origin in 1836 to the present day.
Discover the story of the development of the Mill, the Dover family who built it and the many different workers who spun the wool and wove the cloth. You can also see the 300-year-old Witney blanket loom, which has an early example of a flying shuttle and a collection of knitting sticks which would be like those used the knitters in the local area.
"Lovely use of an old space!"
P Slain, Chesterfield
Industrial Heritage
The first mill at Farfield was built in 1837, the year Queen Victoria came to the throne, by Joseph Dover. Joseph was originally a merchant from Keswick, but for many years he worked as manager of Hebblethwaite Mill in the valley of the Rawthey. This was one of five mills that ran in Sedbergh during the 19th century. His ambition in life was to own his own mill. In 1836 he bought 9 acres of land for £490 on a bend of the River Clough and the town’s labourers suddenly found there was work aplenty, carting stone from a local quarry, building a dam and constructing a huge wooden waterwheel.
Two years later he died, but his two sons James and John carried on the business which stayed in the family for 100 years. The family eventually owned a great deal of land, building themselves two pleasant houses close to the factory. Farmland was paid for in fleeces which were delivered straight to the mill. Although spinning and weaving was done in the factory, for a long time the cottage industry carried on. Handloom woven goods made in the farmers’ back parlour, using Farfield wool, continued into the 20th century. Wool spun at Farfield went out to knitters from Dent to Howgill.
"Fascinating piece of history."
Younies, Bangkok, Thailand
Power Loom
We have a working Dobcross power loom here at the Mill.
Our Dobcross loom was built in 1936 by Hutchinson & Hollingworth of Diggle, Saddleworth, Yorkshire who were one of the makers of the Dobcross loom between 1861-1970.
Dobcross Loom specifications at Farfield
Maximum weaving width: 88-89 inches or 224-226 cm.
Maximum number of shafts: 20. However the use of 8 to 12 shafts is more practical.
Average warp length (1 piece): 60 metres.
Gilkes Turbine
In 1896 a Turbine was ordered for Farfield Mill from Gilbert Gilkes & Co. of Kendal.
Displayed within the Mill, the turbine is a reminder of the industrial progress made during the Victorian area. The original cost was £100.00 and it’s Gilkes number was 066.
It was a Vortex turbine with a fall of 21 feet and suction of 14 ft. It’s rated power was 20HP (15kW).
James Thomson, brother of Lord Kelvin, invented the Vortex turbine and patented it in 1850. It had adjustable guide vanes and the blades were curved. It was the first effective and efficient turbine.
"Excellent walk back in history."
Spedding, London
Witney Blanket Loom
This 300-year-old loom can be found within the Heritage display on Level 2. It has a flying shuttle and is one of the earliest of its type, invented during the Industrial Revolution. Standing at over 9 feet in height, it is an impressive example of a blanket loom which originated at the beginning of blanket making in Witney, Oxfordshire. Witney blankets are now world famous.
It is a timber framed four heddle hand loom and has been used to weave horse collar check and woollen blankets since 1702. A flying shuttle mechanism was added around 1800. It is also one of the earliest Industrial Revolution Inventions.
Donated by The Early’s Archive Trust, which was established to ensure that certain items which were in possession of Early’s of Witney were not lost when the company changed hands. The company closed in 2002 and the loom was offered to Farfield Mill.
You can see a film ‘All About Witney Blankets’ here from the British Film institute.
Sharing the Story of Textiles and Community
As part of our mission, we aim to tell the story of textiles—particularly wool—and to celebrate the rich social history of traditional craft within our local community.
We are grateful for the generous donations we’ve received from local residents who have shared their family histories and stories connected to Farfield Mill.
If you have an object or item you would like to donate, please fill in the contact form below.
Please note that while we appreciate every offer, we are unable to accept all items. Donations are assessed based on their relevance, condition, and available space.