Robin Longbottom examines the role played by waterwheels in powering our mills

TUCKED away and hidden from view at Dale End Mill in Lothersdale is a rare survivor of the industrial past.

It is a waterwheel and although many still exist, what makes this one special is that it is the biggest surviving waterwheel in England – with a diameter of 44 feet (13.4 metres). The wheel unfortunately is completely enclosed in a narrow and inaccessible wheelhouse that does not help to showcase it for visitors. Nevertheless, it does present an impressive sight when seen through the narrow door that provides the only access.

The wheel was a rather late addition to the mill and replaced a smaller internal wheel that had been installed when the mill was built in 1793. It is said to have been made by James Ellison in 1860 – he was an independent millwright from nearby Sutton-in-Craven. The wheel was designed along the principles of the suspension wheel that had been developed in about 1810 by an engineer and millwright called Thomas Hewes. In appearance it looks like a huge bicycle wheel but rather than transmitting power from the axle, as earlier wheels had done, it did so via a gear that ran around one side of the rim making it extremely efficient. Although most suspension wheels were built entirely of iron, with long wrought iron spokes and cross bracings, the wheel at Lothersdale is a hybrid construction and has wooden spokes, which no doubt helped to reduce the cost.

By 1860 many mills in the area had installed suspension wheels, the most spectacular of which was at Sunnydale Paper Mill in East Morton. This mill had two wheels, an upper and a lower, the lower wheel being powered by spent water from the upper one. The upper wheel is reported to have been the largest ever built in Yorkshire and had a diameter of 50 feet (15.24 metres). It was situated in an elevated position, almost on top of the mill buildings, and was fed from above by a large header tank. The second wheel was rather smaller with a diameter of 44 feet (13.4 metres).

Although these wheels were extremely efficient, they were subject to the vagaries of the weather; spells of drought left them with insufficient water and hard winters could result in them being frozen up for weeks. Mytholmes Mill in Haworth was the victim of a big freeze in the winter of 1878-9. The suspension wheel here was exposed to the elements and had frozen up in December. It had been stationary for some time when it began to thaw and with the buckets full of snow, the weight caused the wheel to move and an adjustment chain broke. The foreman mechanic, Smith Buckley, who lived nearby at Spring Row, decided to undertake a repair, first propping the wheel with a piece of timber to keep it from moving. Unfortunately, the prop gave way and the wheel set in motion dragging Buckley up with it. The Keighley News reported that “he was taken round with the wheel four or five times before it finally came to a stand”. His left leg was badly mangled and was subsequently amputated at the knee. Fortunately, he made a complete recovery and following the accident the wheel was enclosed to give it more protection from future harsh winters.

Many waterwheels continued in use into the early 20th century, mill owners taking advantage of the low cost of water power. However, the great majority of mills also had steam engines which provided the principal source of power. By the late 19th century some mills began generating their own electricity and gradually both water and steam gave way to the electrical motor. The wheel at Dale End Mill finally came to the end of its working life in 1936.