Spinning Machine Mine

Wow! What a great week end we have just had. Continuing our excavations of the steps at the rear of the mill we have uncovered more  and more  pieces of spinning machines. As the photograph shows the finds are extensive.  John Glithero, our expert on mill machines was down over the weekend wheeling barrows of spoil away from the dig - if we pulled out another piece of machinery whilst he was away tipping his barrow he was jogging back to take a look as soon as he noticed it.  I have to say we are now gettiing a bit blasé about cog wheels and spindles as there are so many in this one small area of the dig - it is probably less than 5% of the total.  We are going to need a large warehouse at this rate.

Pictured below is the largest piece of machinery recovered so far.  It is thought to be the input drive of a spinning machine (identification is ongoing) you can clearly see the pulley over which a drive belt would have passed. It is good that this is supporting theories that many pieces of machinery would not have been recovered by the scrap merchants, following the fire in November 1892, if they were difficult to get at. i.e. below ground level.