Snuff Mills
Encyclopedia
Snuff Mills is a park
in the Stapleton
area of north Bristol
, also known as Whitwood Mill.
There are pleasant walks along the steep wooded banks of the River Frome
, for example to Oldbury Court. The park was purchased in 1926 by the Corporation of Bristol as "a pleasure walk for citizens of Bristol" and restored in the 1980s by the Fishponds Local History Society.
The park's name originates from one of the millers. His nickname was 'Snuffy Jack' because his smock
was always covered in snuff
.
The park includes an old quarry
and a stone mill. The old mill within the park was used for cutting and crushing stone from the many quarries along the Frome Valley during the late 19th century. It contains a waterwheel, egg-ended boiler in its setting and the remains of a vertical steam engine. Despite the name, tobacco snuff was never ground in this mill.
Today, Snuff Mills is still a popular site for locals and visitors who come to enjoy the tranquility and natural surroundings. This stretch of the River Frome is also home to some of Bristol's otter
s.
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in the Stapleton
Stapleton, Bristol
Stapleton is an area in the north-eastern suburbs of the city of Bristol, England. The name is colloquially used today to describe the ribbon village along Bell Hill and Park Road in the Frome Valley. It borders Eastville to the South and Begbrook and Frenchay to the North...
area of north 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...
, also known as Whitwood Mill.
There are pleasant walks along the steep wooded banks of the River Frome
River Frome, Bristol
The River Frome is a river, approximately long, which rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, and flows in a south westerly direction through Bristol, joining the former course of the river Avon in Bristol's Floating Harbour. The mean flow at Frenchay is The name Frome is shared with...
, for example to Oldbury Court. The park was purchased in 1926 by the Corporation of Bristol as "a pleasure walk for citizens of Bristol" and restored in the 1980s by the Fishponds Local History Society.
The park's name originates from one of the millers. His nickname was 'Snuffy Jack' because his smock
Smock
Smock may refer to one of the following:* Smock-frock, a coatlike outer garment, often worn to protect the clothes* Smocking, an embroidery technique in which the fabric is gathered with thread or embroidery floss, then embroidered with decorative stitches to hold the gathers in place*Chemise, a...
was always covered in snuff
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
.
The park includes an old quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
and a stone mill. The old mill within the park was used for cutting and crushing stone from the many quarries along the Frome Valley during the late 19th century. It contains a waterwheel, egg-ended boiler in its setting and the remains of a vertical steam engine. Despite the name, tobacco snuff was never ground in this mill.
Today, Snuff Mills is still a popular site for locals and visitors who come to enjoy the tranquility and natural surroundings. This stretch of the River Frome is also home to some of Bristol's 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.