Mills in Axminster, Devon - Part Two: The Old Brush Works

A gorgeous old mill, this started life as a storage for wool in the 18th century. In the above photo Castle Mill can just about be seen in the background on the right, which was also used in the textile industry, both mills situated alongside the River Axe in order to power the mills with waterwheels. 

Part One about Castle Mill can be seen here. I didn't have the information when I wrote that one, which I recently came across for this article.

Mentioned in Pevsner's book of Devon, he noted that the group of mills at the bottom of Castle Street included the Old Brush Works, Castle Mill and another six-bay stone and brick mill with a pantiled roof. I did read somewhere that the other mill was situated behind Castle Mill. However, I don't know if it's possible to get near to that one.

He continued to write "The Old Brush factory is of five bays and three storeys, stone with brick dressings under a pantiled roof, with small-paned, round-headed windows." I didn't actually notice the roof but on close inspection of my photos it looks like it's still tiled with pantiles.  

 

Its history includes being a flax workshop and a rope factory. Later sold to a Mr Coates for use as a brush factory, the building is called The Old Brush Works. And now owned by the company Jaffe et Fils Ltd - known as the Feather Factory - which was established in 1948.  

The last surviving feather company in Britain, Jaffe et Fils was started after WW2 in 1946. They treat, hand-sort and hand-dye feathers for the military, film industry, fashion, millinery, costume, carnival, theatre and many other uses. On their website there's a fab photo of Angelina Jolie in the film Maleficient wearing her beautiful feathered wings. That and more can be read about on their site here. And there's also a blog article written by Holly Young of her visit to the factory with a description of the process and work, which can be read here.

And finally, the last photo also showing Castle Mill at the rear. :)

 

Shute Barton Manor: Part Two, Shute, Devon

Having visited and taken photographs of Shute Barton, the New Shute House and the church next door in 2010, I thought that was the end of it. Until October 2014, when one of my friends told me about some upcoming open days in the Manor and offered for us to go. The church can be seen in the previous article. The first part of Shute Barton Manor, the new Shute House and estate in the post before that.

 

Only a portion of the manor now survives. The Sheriff of Dorset, Somerset and Devon, Sir William Bonville, first partly built it circa 1380. The next owners were the Marquesses of Dorset, the Grey family, and they extended the buildings. When they fell out of favour due to the ill fated move to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne, resulting in her beheading, they had their property confiscated and Shute Barton Manor was taken over by Sir John Pole. Once he'd built the new Shute House he had the manor largely demolished in the late 16th century, leaving only the part we see today. 

 

The first port of call was the courtyard surrounded by the U-shaped building. The photo above shows the central south-east wing comprising the kitchen with the hall above. The square holes in the wall above the kitchen door were for keeping pigeons, as food for the pot. The tour guide told us a funny story about that, as the previous owner of the manor used that door often and finally got so fed up with the pigeons pooing on his head that he had large stones inserted into the holes to prevent them getting in and roosting there.

The north-east wing was built in the late 15th century, the fabulous polygonal turret enclosing the stairs on the north end, seen above and below left. The south-west wing was once the original gatehouse and forms the third side of the courtyard - which can be seen below right - the whole of which is now a Grade I Listed Building.

I can't remember which door we went into first but I think it was the kitchen, so we'll start there.

The fireplace is the longest surviving one in Britain. With a span of 24 feet, I was unable to get all of it on my photo. I managed by angling it from the corner, which makes the Tudor arch a bit lopsided, but most of it's there.

I didn't take many interior photos as it isn't always very easy in a group, plus the lack of room to manouvre, so forgive me if I've lost the plot from here on as to what goes where. The best part for me, though - and the most memorable - was the hall above the kitchen.

The hall floor was raised to allow the addition of an extra floor between it and the ground floor, so the proportions are somewhat foreshortened. It's still very impressive though, with its gorgeous rafters of arched braces and curved wind braces with massive collar beams.

Still in situ in the corner of the fireplace wall is a garderobe; a toilet so-called because robes, especially furs, were hung above to prevent moth damage. Presumably because of the smell! ;)

I think there was one the other side too, as shown by the door in the photo below.

Interestingly, this room shows the architectural changes by seeing the windows. The earlier Mediaeval windows outside can still be seen whereas inside the windows have been altered to the Tudor style of plain oblong lights with diamond panes and an inner Tudor arch above them. The windows on the opposite side of the room are round headed ones with diamond panes, seen below.

 

Now this is where I've mostly lost the plot, lol. Mind, as said earlier, I don't have many photos and can easily place most of them. The ones below are obvious but I don't recall which part of the building they were. The modern bathroom on the right is interesting though, as it shows the top of an arch from a lower floor.

I believe that the descendants of the Pole family - the Pole-Carew's - were still entitled to use this as their home, but they hadn't lived here for quite some time and the living apartments are let out as holiday homes by the National Trust for most of the time.

The chimneypiece, below, was situated in a first floor panelled room in the north-east wing, circa 1660.

Looking out over the garden, above, and a tiny foray into the garden from the ground floor, below.

A view of the gatehouse wing from the north-east wing, above, then out through the green studded door on the north-east wing, as seen at the beginning of the article. This time a bit nearer to show a rather large snail near the top right hand corner. 

Then back out through the gate, after a very interesting tour.

I would recommend a visit if possible, but sadly the National Trust decided to extend the holiday letting period to cover the open day weekends too, in order to recoup losses from their closure during the Covid lockdowns and help cover the costs of upkeep. So there's nothing planned at the moment, but maybe there will be open days again sometime in the future. :)

 

 

St Michael's Church, Shute, Devon

Continuing on from the previous post of Shute Barton & Shute House, I also visited the nearby church on the same day after my meander around the estate. This delightful 13th century church is situated just along the lane next to the imposing Gatehouse of Shute Barton Manor and still serves the small village in which it sits.

Designated a Grade II* Listed Building, the church is cruciform with an Early English centre tower and exterior features mainly in the perpendicular style. It was built using stone rubble with freestone dressings, being the most available materials locally.

The windows on the south side were added during the 19th century in the Perpendicular style with flat heads. The tower is built above a central crossing and there are gargoyles at each corner, although sadly they were too high for me to see them properly.

The South Transept was widened during the 15th century, seen below, with the addition of a Lady Chapel on the north side of the chancel with an arcade replacing the wall.

Looking back down the nave with the north arcade on the right, above. And below, looking up towards the east window.

The Armorial Glass in the North Chapel window (below) is dated 1673 and 1808; with the view from outside next to it, looking just as gorgeous from both sides.

I love the windows in this church. Two at least aren't the usual kind found in parish churches and the one in the South Chapel (below) is simple yet stunningly beautiful.  

The plain windows may have held stained glass at one time, but had to be replaced with plain after the iconoclastic vandalism of Henry VIII's Dissolution.

There's also some rather delightful foliage decoration on the 15th century stone capitals, shown below. 

In the North Chapel (previously the Lady Chapel), below, is this rather imposing statue of Sir William Pole in his role of Master of the Queens Arms. The Pole family was given the lease to Shute Barton Manor after the erstwhile owners, the Grey family, fell from favour due to their failed attempt to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne. The Poles later bought the property, made changes to the Manor House and built Shute House, the former now belonging to the National Trust.

The wagon roof with lovely gilded bosses was added in the 19th century.

The font is the original 15th century - although it has been much restored - with a decoration of some lovely quatrefoils.

Then back outside through the fabulous studded door to a view from the porch.

And this is where I sat for a picnic lunch of an apple with a chunk of cheese, followed by a digestive biscuit with coffee from my flask, which made a lovely break and added to a great day out. :)

A close-up of that view across the path; a fabulous piece of carved stone made into part of a low retaining wall.

I also love this old gravestone with a delightful carving of ivy leaves, echoed by the real ivy climbing the wall beside it. 

Two more exterior photos, taken of the east side.

And lastly, a tomb chest dated 1665, along with other gravestones, below, and looking through the Lychgate on my way out.

After my really enjoyable visit there I walked down the road to Seaton Junction, where I took some more photos - my second visit there - then a walk to the village of Whitford. I was too early for the bus, so I walked along the lane to Musbury village and took a few photos of Turnpike Cottage on the way. Then the bus home to Seaton. Quite a venture! :)

Coming up next, a further visit to Shute Barton Manor in September 2010, when I had the opportunity to go on an organised tour inside on a National Trust Open Day.