Land Yeo
Encyclopedia
The Land Yeo is a small river
which flows through North Somerset
, England.
It rises on Dundry Hill and supplies Barrow Gurney Reservoirs
before flowing through various villages to Clevedon
where it drains into the Bristol Channel
. During the past 1,000 years it has powered at least ten watermills, however only one is still functional.
Since 2003 initiatives have been undertaken to clean up the river, improving water quality and encouraging wildlife.
The Land Yeo has its origins at several small springs on the western edge of Dundry Hill. It is one of the small streams which feed Barrow Gurney Reservoirs
near the village of Barrow Gurney
, which provide drinking water for Bristol
. It then flows through the village of Barrow Gurney
alongside the B3130 road, where it can be seen in millponds.
It then flows north beneath the A370 road
and the Bristol to Exeter railway line
close to an old Roman settlement at Gatcombe. It then flows west past the Tyntesfield
Estate, north of Nailsea
where it is crossed by Jacklands Bridge and south of Wraxall
, continuing through a man made watercourse, past Tickenham
where it is the northern boundary of the Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors SSSI
.
It then passes under the M5 motorway
, through Clevedon
where it joins the Middle Yeo and drains into the Bristol Channel
.
. These included Corn and Gristmill
s and those adapted for the production of Snuff
.
There were three mills on the Land Yeo in Barrow Gurney
. The Upper Barrow Mill, which had an Overshot water wheel, was a Gristmill
which is known to have been operating in 1839. By 1866 it was running as a corn mill, and ceased operation by 1935. The Middle Mill was converted to snuff
manufacture by Peter Lilly a tobacconist from Bristol around 1800 and became part of the W.D. & H.O. Wills
tobacco manufacturing company. It ceased mill operations by 1839 and by 1885 both the leat and millpond had disappeared. The Lower Mill is known have been grinding corn in the 19th century. It was rebuilt in 1909 when an iron overshot watermill of 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter was installed and steam power introduced. The mill is still used to produce animal feeds, however the waterwheel and millpond, which remain, are no longer in use.
The next mill downstream is in the parish of Long Ashton
close to the site of the Gatcombe Roman Settlement. There is evidence of a snuff mill at the site in 1769, however the current building dates from the early 19th century. By 1846 it had been converted to grind mustard
, annatto
and drugs, but by 1874 was a flour mill. The internal machinery is still in place and the mill has been designated as a Grade II listed building. In the same parish stood Kincott Mill which had stood since at least the 13th century. By the early 19th century rented out for snuff grinding and in the 1830s a steam engine was installed to power a flour and corn mill. Later it was owned by an iron founder, who made edge tools and other farm
implements and installed cast-iron water wheels.
To the north of the village of Flax Bourton
are the remains of Bourton Mill which may have existed at the time of the Domesday Book
and strong documentary evidence exists from 1769. Between 1839 and 1885 the river was diverted into the tailrace of the mill, eliminating a bend in the river. All that remains of the three storey mill is a single storey garage of a private house.
At Watercress Farm, Wraxall
is the only waterwheel still operating on the River. The 6 feet (1.8 m) diameter wheel, which was built before 1885 and is housed in a small brick building is used as a water pump. The other mill in the parish of Wraxall operated in the 18th and 19th centuries. It fell out of use by 1885 and was ruined by 1950. The only remains are crumbling walls by the entrance to Wraxall House.
The mill at Tickenham
was established in the middle of the 12th century by Canons of the Abbey of St Augustine, (now Bristol Cathedral
). In the 19th century it was owned by the Ashton Court
Estate and in the 20th century was used as a water pump. It has now been converted into a private house.
There were at least two mills at Clevedon
. The Tuck Mills lay in the fields south of Clevedon Court
and were used for fulling
cloth. The other mills were near Wain's Hill
and probably date from the early 17th century.
s, little egret
s, heron
s, swan
s and otter
s. The group have also been developing a series of river walks. A grant, in 2011, of £200,000 to fund work on the wetlands of the North Somerset Levels
will enable further work to enhance biodiversity to be undertaken.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
which flows through North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, England.
It rises on Dundry Hill and supplies Barrow Gurney Reservoirs
Barrow Gurney Reservoirs
Barrow Gurney Reservoirs are three artificial reservoirs for drinking water near the village of Barrow Gurney, which lies southwest of Bristol, England. They are known by their numbers rather than names....
before flowing through various villages to Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
where it drains into the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. During the past 1,000 years it has powered at least ten watermills, however only one is still functional.
Since 2003 initiatives have been undertaken to clean up the river, improving water quality and encouraging wildlife.
River course
Barrow Gurney Reservoirs
Barrow Gurney Reservoirs are three artificial reservoirs for drinking water near the village of Barrow Gurney, which lies southwest of Bristol, England. They are known by their numbers rather than names....
near the village of Barrow Gurney
Barrow Gurney
Barrow Gurney is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in the Unitary Authority of North Somerset on the B3130, midway between the A38 and A370 near the Long Ashton bypass and Bristol Airport, south west of Bristol city centre...
, which provide drinking water for Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. It then flows through the village of Barrow Gurney
Barrow Gurney
Barrow Gurney is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in the Unitary Authority of North Somerset on the B3130, midway between the A38 and A370 near the Long Ashton bypass and Bristol Airport, south west of Bristol city centre...
alongside the B3130 road, where it can be seen in millponds.
It then flows north beneath the A370 road
A370 road
The A370 is a primary road in England running from Bristol to Weston-super-Mare and on to East Brent in Somerset. A more direct route from Bristol to East Brent is the A38.-Route:...
and the Bristol to Exeter railway line
Bristol to Exeter line
The Bristol to Exeter line is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line in the southern United Kingdom and runs from Bristol, to Exeter, from where it continues as the Exeter to Plymouth line...
close to an old Roman settlement at Gatcombe. It then flows west past the Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England, near Nailsea, seven miles from Bristol.The house was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fund raising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public...
Estate, north of Nailsea
Nailsea
Nailsea is a town in the unitary authority of North Somerset within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, approximately to the southwest of Bristol and about to the northeast of the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare. The nearest village is Backwell, which lies south of Nailsea on the...
where it is crossed by Jacklands Bridge and south of Wraxall
Wraxall, Somerset
Wraxall is a village in North Somerset in England. The parish of the same name also included Nailsea and Flax Bourton until 1811. It is now within the parish of Wraxall and Failand.-History:...
, continuing through a man made watercourse, past Tickenham
Tickenham
Tickenham is a village and civil parish near Clevedon and Nailsea, North Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 909. It has a primary school and a village hall, but no shops, although it formerly had a post office....
where it is the northern boundary of the Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors SSSI
Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors SSSI
Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors SSSI is a 129.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn on the North Somerset Levels, notified in 1995....
.
It then passes under the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
, through Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
where it joins the Middle Yeo and drains into the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
.
Mills
During the 18th and 19th centuries the Land Yeo powered a series of mills, with some dating back to the time of the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. These included Corn and Gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s and those adapted for the production of Snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
.
There were three mills on the Land Yeo in Barrow Gurney
Barrow Gurney
Barrow Gurney is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in the Unitary Authority of North Somerset on the B3130, midway between the A38 and A370 near the Long Ashton bypass and Bristol Airport, south west of Bristol city centre...
. The Upper Barrow Mill, which had an Overshot water wheel, was a Gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
which is known to have been operating in 1839. By 1866 it was running as a corn mill, and ceased operation by 1935. The Middle Mill was converted to snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
manufacture by Peter Lilly a tobacconist from Bristol around 1800 and became part of the W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was one of the founding companies of Imperial Tobacco.-History:...
tobacco manufacturing company. It ceased mill operations by 1839 and by 1885 both the leat and millpond had disappeared. The Lower Mill is known have been grinding corn in the 19th century. It was rebuilt in 1909 when an iron overshot watermill of 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter was installed and steam power introduced. The mill is still used to produce animal feeds, however the waterwheel and millpond, which remain, are no longer in use.
The next mill downstream is in the parish of Long Ashton
Long Ashton
Long Ashton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It falls within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset, a few miles south west of the city of Bristol. The parish has a population of 4,981...
close to the site of the Gatcombe Roman Settlement. There is evidence of a snuff mill at the site in 1769, however the current building dates from the early 19th century. By 1846 it had been converted to grind mustard
Mustard seed
Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about 1 or 2 mm in diameter. Mustard seeds may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many regional foods. The seeds can come from three different plants: black mustard , brown...
, annatto
Annatto
Annatto, sometimes called roucou or achiote, is a derivative of the achiote trees of tropical regions of the Americas, used to produce a yellow to orange food coloring and also as a flavoring...
and drugs, but by 1874 was a flour mill. The internal machinery is still in place and the mill has been designated as a Grade II listed building. In the same parish stood Kincott Mill which had stood since at least the 13th century. By the early 19th century rented out for snuff grinding and in the 1830s a steam engine was installed to power a flour and corn mill. Later it was owned by an iron founder, who made edge tools and other farm
implements and installed cast-iron water wheels.
To the north of the village of Flax Bourton
Flax Bourton
Flax Bourton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. The parish, with a population of 659, is situated within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset, on the edge of Nailsea Moor on the A370 road south west of Bristol city centre....
are the remains of Bourton Mill which may have existed at the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and strong documentary evidence exists from 1769. Between 1839 and 1885 the river was diverted into the tailrace of the mill, eliminating a bend in the river. All that remains of the three storey mill is a single storey garage of a private house.
At Watercress Farm, Wraxall
Wraxall, Somerset
Wraxall is a village in North Somerset in England. The parish of the same name also included Nailsea and Flax Bourton until 1811. It is now within the parish of Wraxall and Failand.-History:...
is the only waterwheel still operating on the River. The 6 feet (1.8 m) diameter wheel, which was built before 1885 and is housed in a small brick building is used as a water pump. The other mill in the parish of Wraxall operated in the 18th and 19th centuries. It fell out of use by 1885 and was ruined by 1950. The only remains are crumbling walls by the entrance to Wraxall House.
The mill at Tickenham
Tickenham
Tickenham is a village and civil parish near Clevedon and Nailsea, North Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 909. It has a primary school and a village hall, but no shops, although it formerly had a post office....
was established in the middle of the 12th century by Canons of the Abbey of St Augustine, (now Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England, and is commonly known as Bristol Cathedral...
). In the 19th century it was owned by the Ashton Court
Ashton Court
Ashton Court is a mansion house and estate to the west of Bristol in England. Although the estate lies mainly in North Somerset, it is owned by the City of Bristol. The estate has been a venue for a variety of leisure activities, including the now-defunct Ashton Court festival, Bristol...
Estate and in the 20th century was used as a water pump. It has now been converted into a private house.
There were at least two mills at Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
. The Tuck Mills lay in the fields south of Clevedon Court
Clevedon Court
Clevedon Court is a manor house on Court Hill in Clevedon, North Somerset, England, dating from the early fourteenth century. It is now owned by the National Trust. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
and were used for fulling
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
cloth. The other mills were near Wain's Hill
Wain's Hill
Wain's Hill is an univallate Iron Age hill fort situated approximately south-west from the town of Clevedon in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England...
and probably date from the early 17th century.
Restoration
In 2003 a group known as the Friends of the Land Yeo was set up to maintain and enhance the river, including the removal of debris. The subsequent improvements in water quality have increased the numbers of fish and improved the river as a habitat for birds and mammals including kingfisherKingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s, little egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s, swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s and otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s. The group have also been developing a series of river walks. A grant, in 2011, of £200,000 to fund work on the wetlands of the North Somerset Levels
North Somerset Levels
The North Somerset Levels is a coastal plain, an expanse of low-lying flat ground, which occupies an area between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol in North Somerset, England...
will enable further work to enhance biodiversity to be undertaken.