Staveley a few years ago was bisected by the main road from Windermere to the motorway - but those of us who did stop found it was also a delightful small Lakeland town. Now it is bypassed and many people roar past without stopping. But it is still a delightful small Lakeland town and we do recommend you to stop for a while. The best place to chat and find out more is Wilf's Cafe in Mill Yard.
'Wilf`s' was originally a cafe above Rock and Run in Ambleside, later to move to above White Mountain, (now Sport Extreme), run by lain Williamson. (lain is generally known as Wilf, from a school days' nickname). It gained widespread popularity and notoriety amongst outdoor enthusiasts.
In 1991 a chance discussion amongst friends, including Charlotte Webb, resulted in a trial appearance at an Orienteering event over in Eskdale selling a basic menu to the competitors. It was a success! The popularity for 'Wilf 's' food at events grew and with the closing of the cafe by the owners of the shop, Wilf and Charlotte became business partners and put all their energies into developing the event catering.
Keen to open a new cafe and open up new opportunities for expanding the business, they came to Staveley! At present they are running a series of-speciality evenings' and during winter months, slide and supper evenings with a range of guest speakers.
The earliest record of a wood mill on this site is of Benjamin Turton, owner, in the 1849 Trade Directory, although there probably was a mill here much earlier. During the heyday of the cotton industry there were 6 bobbin mills in Staveley.
A large water-wheel powered the line shafting (some of which can be seen in the upstairs room), and looking over the balcony you can see where the water was drawn off above the weir and channelled along the race, though an arch way into the building to power the wheel. Construction of the Kentmere Reservoir must have helped to maintain steady and consistent working of the mill. The water wheel was replaced in 1902 by a succession of turbines - now restored and again producing electricity for the yard.
The upstairs rooms were a drying area and the bobbin loft where the turned bobbins were placed in a revolving slatted drum, (so that the shavings could fall through), with large lumps of beeswax to polish.
With the decline of the cotton spinning industry and strong competition from other countries making bobbins from cheaper wood supplies and labour this woodmill continued to prosper changing to the 'handle' trade, hammers, brooms etc.. The loft was still in use until the 1980's. At it's height the mill probably employed 200 workers. Today, no longer a working mill, there are a similar number employed in the numerous businesses on site.
With the landlord, the third generation of the family to run the mill site, the yard is changing but still prospering in other ways. The cafe tables and many other fittings were made 'on site', as is the bread they use. Charlotte and Wilf are looking forward to the further development of the Wood Mill!
Lying between Staveley and Kendal is the village of Burneside. Here you will find one of my family's "must visit" places when we are in Cumbria. The Paper Mill Shop is part of the large paper and card mill owned by James Cropper Ltd. Here in the shop you can buy many of their products as well as craft goods and artits' materials. A real favourite is the Pick and Mix option where you take a box and can then fill it with your own selection of the different cards and papers on offer. The variety of colours and textures is very wide and my daughters always buy enough high quality card to make their birthday and Christmas cards for the year. Because the paper on offer is excess production from the Mill (definitely not seconds or damaged) the prices are - to say the least - extremely competitive. As well as selling the materials the shop runs creative craft days when you can learn how to use all the wonderful materials and design and make your own cards etc. As well as the shop in Burneside there are branches of the Paper Mill Shop in other locations throughout England - look at their excellent website for further details.