Worsham Mill

Situation
On the River Windrush, four miles to the west of Witney.

Physical structure
Worsham was built from stone at the beginning of the 19th century as a three-storey stone-built spinning mill with red brick window surrounds. Changes to the mill began to take place from the 1890s through to the early years of the 20th century under the ownership of Pritchett and Webley. At one period of their occupation, power was supplied by a traction engine standing outside the yard. In 1902 a large new building block was erected, a gas engine was put in and the old water wheel was broken up and replaced with a Gunther water turbine which apparently needed a great deal more water to run it than the old wheel had done [1].

After 1924, under Marriott's ownership, the mill was running in a vertically integrated manner, where the wool was stored and blended at the top of the building and came down through the carding machines and spinning mules to the ground floor, where there was a weaving shed holding around 35 looms with a further 15 housed in a separate building. The stockhouse was near the water turbine and the gig shop was in a smaller building on the Witney side [2].

Marriott's made many other improvements to the mill complex including installing four new spinning mules, rebuilding four mill cottages and bringing in electric power as well as a new heating system and a hot water boiler.

Owners
It is probable that Worsham Mill was built on the site of earlier water mills (for cloth fulling or flour milling) but there is no hard evidence for this. It is not clear who built the mill but it was certainly in existence by 1800. It seems to have been sold, as a woollen mill, around 1837: the banking family of Gillett is thought to have had an interest in it around this period [3].

In 1852 it was being used by Richard Early and was then bought by his son (also called Richard) for £900 in 1864. His son Arthur Early inherited the mill after Richard died suddenly in 1874 but unfortunately Arthur became ill and was committed to lunatic asylum. A committee acting for Arthur then leased Worsham for 21 years to his uncle Henry Early [4].

In the 1890s it was transferred to Messrs. Pritchett and Webley who also had interests in a glove making business in Witney at Newland. They expanded their operation to include blanket making but their business failed shortly before the First World War, although the gloving concern carried on.

When Pritchett and Webley's business failed Worsham Mill was taken over by Mr George Howitt, who sold it during the War for £1000 to a cabinet maker, Mr Norman Minty [5].

In 1924 James Marriott and Sons bought the Mill and it remained under their ownership until they were amalgamated with Early's to be known as Charles Early and Marriott (Witney) Ltd. in 1960. Worsham finally closed in 1965 when Witney Mill became the company's main focus of production [6].

What was the site used for?
All stages of blanket production took place here from spinning through to finishing; about 50 looms were operational at its peak [7].

Marriott's used it principally for willeying, spinning and warehousing. Pritchett and Webley's business here at different stages, included the making of tilts, blankets and mops as well as the brazing together of bicycle parts. Minty initially turned production over to the making of tents to meet the demand created by the First World War and then revived the blanket business under the name 'The Worsham Blanket Company' for a short time [8].