As others have noted, everyone and their dogs (and their grandmas, and their grandmas' dogs, and their dogs' grandmas) have been here over the years, but for good reason - it has some lovely bits and it makes for nice photos. It's a long way from home, but finding myself already a long way from home for non-bex reasons, it was the ideal opportunity to go and take a look at both of these places. I didn't have a lot of time, so, yes, it's a shame I missed the x and the x, but at least I managed to see the x and the x before I had to get a taxi back to the thing I was actually in Exeter for in the first place.
History
(Copied and pasted from a report by @albino-jay because I didn't think he would mind)
The company was officially founded by Thomas Fox in Wellington 1772, after taking over the family business from his father, Edward. At this time, it is believed that the company employed up to 450 people in and around the area.
During the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century, the company brought the entire production process in house. With the wool sorting, spinning, drying and weaving processes all under one roof, the Fox family were able to exert more control over quality and increase production. Not only was the total production housed on the one site, but ancillary crafts also took place at the mill. These included basket weaving; to produce the baskets used for holding wool and yarns, joineries; for the wooden requirements of the site, book binding; to produce record and accounts books as well as metal forges and workshops, to produce and maintain the machinery.
At its peak the company employed approximately 5,000 people and owned and operated nine mills and factories in Somerset, Devon, Galashiels and Oxfordshire.
The Fox family had their own legal tender from 1787 until 1921; Lloyds bank in Wellington is to this day known as the Fox Branch.
From the late 19th century into the 20th century, production became increasingly focused on fabrics for the British military. During the Boer War, Fox Brothers developed the new serge drape mixture know as 'khaki', which eventually led to the demise of the British Army's traditional 'redcoats'. During the First World War, Fox Brothers completed the largest ever, single order for textiles: 852 miles of cloth supplied to the Ministry of Defence. This was used to make 'the puttee' - spiral leg puttees were used by the military as a part of the regular soldier uniform.
Here's an audio history, for the auditory learners amongst us: World War One At Home - Tonedale Mill, Somerset: Manufacturing Miles of Puttees - BBC Sounds
The Mill
The Dye Works
BTW The place next to the mill does nice coffee.
The end
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