The origins, development, decline and reuse of the cloth mills of the Stroud Valleys of Gloucestershire
The thesis, which opens with a critical review of the primary and secondary literature on the British woollen industry and trade generally, examines the development of the Stroud industry, its rise to an area of considerable industrial importance, and its eventual decline. Important factors that influenced its development included gradual mechanisation and transition from water to steam power over a protracted period. Following woollen's decline, many mills were reused by a variety of successor industries. At the core of the study are three chapters based largely on site visits that review and analyse power sources, power transmission systems and the construction and architecture of mill buildings. A methodology pioneered by the RCHME's survey of Yorkshire mills is used; this combines the use of maps, record office archives, printed sources, site visits and record making. The focus on industrial enterprises, mill sites and buildings reveals some similarities with competing areas but also significant differences. In Gloucestershire, a capitalism system of organisation was adopted early, with clothiers living in or near their mills. Most mill sites developed in a piecemeal fashion over protracted periods. Their
Mills, Stephen
The origins, development, decline and reuse of the cloth mills of the Stroud Valleys of Gloucestershire. The thesis, which opens with a critical review of the primary and secondary literature on the British woollen industry and trade generally, examines the development of the Stroud industry, its rise to an area of considerable industrial importance, and its eventual decline. Important factors that influenced its development included gradual mechanisation and transition from water to steam power over a protracted period. Following woollen's decline, many mills were reused by a variety of successor industries. At the core of the study are three chapters based largely on site visits that review and analyse power sources, power transmission systems and the construction and architecture of mill buildings. A methodology pioneered by the RCHME's survey of Yorkshire mills is used; this combines the use of maps, record office archives, printed sources, site visits and record making. The focus on industrial enterprises, mill sites and buildings reveals some similarities with competing areas but also significant differences. In Gloucestershire, a capitalism system of organisation was adopted early, with clothiers living in or near their mills. Most mill sites developed in a piecemeal fashion over protracted periods. Their
origin_development decline reuse cloth mill gloucestershire open critical_review primary_secondary literature british woollen industry_trade generally examines_development industry rise area considerable industrial importance eventual decline important_factor influence_development include gradual mechanisation transition water steam_power protract period following woollen decline many mill reuse variety successor industry core_study base_largely site visit review analyse power source power transmission system construction architecture mill building pioneer survey yorkshire mill use combine use map record office archive print_source site visit record making focus industrial enterprise mill site building reveals similarity compete area also significant_difference gloucestershire capitalism system organisation adopt early clothier live near mill mill site develop piecemeal fashion protract period