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Otterburn Mill is a former textile mill in
Dating from the 18th century, Otterburn Mill was leased in 1821 to William Waddell. (Waddell, the son of a Jedburgh wool manufacturer, had recently arrived in the area having eloped across the border from Scotland with his young bride, Charlotte Ferrier). What began as a
File:Water turbine, Otterburn Mill, Northumberland.jpg, This water turbine powered the mill from 1890 until the 1950s (replacing a pair of
Official site
{{coord, 55, 13, 52, N, 2, 10, 43, W, type:landmark, display=title Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn Mill is a former textile mill in Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about fr ...
, northeast England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It lies just south of the Otterburn Tower
Otterburn Tower (sometimes spelled Otiburne; originally Otterburn Castle; currently Otterburn Tower Hotel) is a Grade II listed castellated, three star country house hotel in Otterburn, Northumberland. It is set in of deer park and woodland i ...
along the A696 road
The A696 is a major road in Northern England, that runs from Otterburn in Northumberland to Newcastle upon Tyne.
Route
The A696 begins at a junction with the A68 road (to Edinburgh and Corbridge). It heads in a south-easterly direction throug ...
next to a bridge over the River Rede
The Rede is a river in Northumberland, England. The river rises on Carter Fell on the Anglo-Scottish border feeding Catcleugh Reservoir and joins the River North Tyne below the village of Redesmouth. The Rede is one of only two rivers in the N ...
. It was owned by the Waddell family for many years and is over 250 years old.
The mill is noted for its pram rugs and its crowning moment was on the birth of Princess Elizabeth in 1926, when Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
contacted the mill requesting a rug for the royal pram. Otterburn Mill is now a shop selling outdoor, country and lifestyle clothing for men, women and children. Rena's Country Kitchen is an onsite café. Much of the historic machinery can still be seen and the history of the Waddell family is showcased across the site.
History
Dating from the 18th century, Otterburn Mill was leased in 1821 to William Waddell. (Waddell, the son of a Jedburgh wool manufacturer, had recently arrived in the area having eloped across the border from Scotland with his young bride, Charlotte Ferrier). What began as a cottage industry
The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
grew, under successive generations of Waddells, into a factory-based operation as production became increasingly mechanised.
In the twentieth century, Otterburn Mill became 'a brand leader in woven cloths'; its distinctive tweeds
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
were used by some of the leading fashion houses
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates c ...
of Europe, including Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds ...
, Balmain, Schiaparelli and Paquin. They were also popular for rural pursuits among the aristocracy and Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...
was a keen purchaser of the mill's wares.
By the 1970s the textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry.
Industry process
Cotton manufacturi ...
in Britain had gone into decline; manufacturing ceased at Otterburn in December 1976. Twenty years later John Waddell sold the buildings to Euan Pringle; they were converted into a shop selling outdoor and country clothing, with historic machinery and other items retained for display.
Gallery
water wheels
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...
).
File:Fulling stocks.jpg, Fulling
Fulling, also known as felting, tucking or walking ( Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelled waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven or knitted cloth (particularly wool) to elimin ...
stocks (19th century).
File:Cornish boiler, Otterburn Mill - geograph.org.uk - 1632192.jpg, A Cornish boiler
A shell or flued boiler is an early and relatively simple form of boiler used to make steam, usually for the purpose of driving a steam engine. The design marked a transitional stage in boiler development, between the early haystack boilers and ...
provided hot water and steam for the washing and finishing process.
File:Scouring machine, Otterburn Mill, Northumberland.jpg, Scouring (washing) machine
File:Spin dryer, Otterburn Mill, Northumberland.jpg, Spin dryer
File:Teazle gig.jpg, Teazle gig (used to raise the surface of the finished cloth to make it fluffy)
File:Tenter frame, Otterburn Mill, Northumberland.jpg, Early 18th-century tenter frame
References
External links
Official site
{{coord, 55, 13, 52, N, 2, 10, 43, W, type:landmark, display=title Otterburn, Northumberland