SPINNERS AND SAWYERS

by Linda Butters

For over two centuries Gayle Mill has harnessed the power of water flowing through the village of Gayle in the Yorkshire Dales.

Oswald and Thomas Routh, local landowners, first captured this power when they built their Cotton Factory a few years after the construction of Richard Arkwright’s First Mill at Cromford, Derbyshire in 1771. The land near Oswald’s home at Force Head, Gayle provided an ideal site for a water mill powered by a 24 foot waterwheel.

Cotton spinning continued until 1806, employing “many hands at low wages”. Many problems were encountered in the early days, but all were overcome. Joseph Summers was employed as mill manager in 1789 and doubled the output within two years. Thomas Lambert, a cotton spinner living at Crake Close, Sleddale near Gayle was one of “many hands” working at the mill during this time of increased production.

Flax was then spun for a few years between 1806 and 1813, mainly for use in the manufacture of sailcloth for the Middlesbrough trade.

Worsted spinning then followed from 1813 onwards, throughout most of the 19th century providing wool for the local hand knitting trade, especially in stockings. George Rushfirth was employed for many years at Gayle Mill, both as a cotton spinner and also as a worsted spinner, leaving his signature and self portrait on a beam on “ July 20 Day 1821”.

The Routh family continued to own and operate the mill throughout the textile spinning era and to oversee the transition from spinning to sawmilling in the 1870’s.

Ralph Alderson, born at Keld, Swaledale in 1816, leased the mill in 1872 from Rev John Oswald Routh, at first using hand tools and pitsaws for sawing trees. The pitsaws are currently on display at the Dales Countryside Museum at Hawes.

In 1879 the waterwheel was replaced by a Thomson Double Vortex turbine manufactured by Williamson Bros. of Kendal, and is still in situ today. The turbine,  No. 406 was supplied to Francis Whaley of Gayle, Routh’s land agent at that time. All the present woodworking machinery was installed in the same year by Ralph Alderson and his son William who by then had joined him in the sawmilling business.

Electricity was generated by waterpower using the Williamson turbine around 1890, to light the mill, a street light and Routh’s home, Clints House.

Ralph and William were in turn succeeded by William James Alderson, Ralph’s grandson, who purchased the mill from John Christopher Cain Routh, who inherited the mill from his father Rev John Oswald Routh. 

Thomas Alderson, Ralph’s great grandson, began working at the mill on leaving school in 1921. William James Alderson died later the same year, his widow then sold the mill to T.G. and A. Metcalfe. Thomas Alderson continued to serve his apprenticeship as a joiner and sawyer with Metcalfe’s. Thomas George Metcalfe and Thomas Alderson worked together for many years, including felling and hauling timber to the mill with a horse drawn timber wagon with two heavy horses hired from Elijah Allen.

In 1948 Thomas Alderson, in partnership with Thomas and John Thompson purchased the mill from Metcalfe’s along with the Hawes joiners shop and adjoining properties. This partnership continued until 1961 when Brian Alderson, on completion of his apprenticeship as a joiner and sawyer joined his father Thomas in partnership at the mill, and the Thompson brothers continued at the joiners shop in Hawes.

Following the death of Thomas Alderson in 1976 Brian continued to run the business until 1988. This brings to an end five generations of the Alderson family at Gayle Mill.

During the years between 1948 and 1988 the mill experienced much change in the timber trade. The transport of timber to and from the mill changed from horse drawn timber wagons to motorised haulage. Also, the type of products produced changed from horse drawn carts, hay sledges etc. to tractor drawn trailers, hay sweeps etc., many of which were of a specialised design attracting business from farms throughout the Yorkshire Dales and beyond.

The story of Gayle Mill is the story of waterpower over two centuries. Today, there is a re-awakening of the need for renewable energy sources. Gayle Mill will now have the opportunity to contribute to meeting that need as we progress through the 21st century.