Somerset's Hidden History. The Lost World of James Fussell
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Hey Folks. In this weeks family friendly history vlog we explore what remains of the Wadbury Valley near Mells. We talk about the industrial revolution in this area and how a family called the Fussell's changed the landscape we know today.
There are a lot of abandoned buildings and workings here, perhaps even more than we discovered in todays explore and walk.
Don't forget to pop along to Elliot and Joes Channel too which can be found here: / @ghosttheory
Derrick Hunts Website: www.dorandsomca...
Quotes: Allan Watts.
If you enjoy what we do and would like to support us please check out the following links:
/ everydisusedstation
www.paulwhitewi...
ko-fi.com/ever...
And nice to see you on BBC Points West at lunchtime today!
It was a brilliant day seeing you guys and love the video! Can’t wait to do another collaboration 😃
Cheers Gents. We are definitely game for that.
Just watched your top 10 of 2021... couldn't believe it when I saw those instantly recognisable arches at the Fussell site. Spent many Sundays excavating on this site 40 years ago. So many memories of so much industrial archaeology. Looking very overgrown and wild these days.
*46 years? 1975 according to the BIAS journal article. Doesn't time fly.
Really enjoyed this one. On my list of places to visit once we are all back to normal.
Cheers Stephen, fascinating little world down there.
Calls umbrella users a bunch of girls AND uses Marmite? Be still my beating heart...
In seriousness; what a mega video. Cinematography and editing at next level. Thank you so much.
Hahaha.....
Wow that was just fantastic. That beautiful stonework was totally incredible. Just love history and that was just great. Thank you so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care
Thanks Linda and that's for the comment.
amazing scenary
This is excellent, one of your best finds. Come for the railways and stay for the history!
Thanks Andy, we are missing the railways a lot!
You find some amazing places. Thank you for bringing them to us so we can explore them vicariously. I particularly enjoy the research and potted history you provide, as well as the pointers to other content. Keep it coming!
Thanks Dominic, that's absolutely our goal. Much appreciated.
Fusselltastic video, thank you for sharing
A lovely video to start my Monday morning with. Outside of the rain the place looked epic.
We actually loved the acoustic it gave the edit
I’m from Tampa florida United States I’m originally from louisiana. Lakecharles calcaseu parish. But my families origins come from somerset and before that Norway but I haven’t been able to continue our ancestry much further the history of somerset I’m extremely interested in and watching your channel gives me a sense of being back home thank you !
Great video, the cinematography was brilliant. Loads of effort into filming and editing. Really nicely done and helped me relax on a sunday afternoon. Perfect timing.
Awesome, thank you!
To think the UK must be filled with interesting historical locations such as this one ... well done for finding them ... I used to live there until I was 25 and I did a lot of camping and travelling but never came across anything interesting... maybe I just didn't have eyes to see them .. who knows !
Fussels boat lift was new to me - thanks for providing the link.
A pleasure Sir. We are hopefully meeting with Derrick come March to show us the Lock site with permission (all being covid well). Would be a pleasure to meet you one day too!
@@pwhitewick Did you ever locate the spot for the Caisson lock on the Somerset Coal? I figured out the incline site but concluded the Caisson had been destroyed. It would be lovely to see you guys one day - root out a lost canal in the Black Country....
@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 we assumed the lock was pretty much in the properties front garden. Long gone I guess.
Black Country lost canal sounds perfect. Keep in touch and we will make that happen.
I once won a competition for life time supply of Marmite twenty years ago... I'm still on my first jar 😂
I suspect Rebecca would be happy for you to transfer it!
You opened one????????
Morgan773 Okay, I'll bite (not on Marmite). What in the heck is Marmite? This Yankee doesn't know.
@@coldblue9mm It's a dark salty goo that comes in jars. It originated from brewers waste yeast years ago and people put it on toast or in some foods. It even markets itself as not being liked by most! Take a look on Wikipedia it'll tell you a lot more than I know... And by the way, I'm not keen on the stuff 🤢.
@@coldblue9mm Its the scrapings from the Devil's boots, thats what it is......
Another fascinating explore. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
A very interesting video guys 😎
All the best and stay safe.
😀🍻🥂👍🏻
Cheers
A nice Professional Walk in the Rain. Luv it. TY (the ole´ mill was nice, too)
Thank you
The weather really adds to the atmosphere!
This reminds me of the works on the Passaic River, in Paterson, NJ. A little later, early 1800’s.
Loved the video good find.
Thank you
Loved the Alan Watts quotes
Brilliant content, thanks to Elliot and Joe and of course you two.
Thank you.
Was brilliant working with Paul and Rebecca. Such a fun day.
Been waiting for this one and not disappointed, what a fantastic location, will definitely visit soon, thanks for the great footage.
Cheers Chris. Lovely valley indeed.
Love your beautiful cat!! Oh, and the vid was excellent too. Happy New Year, Paul and Rebecca!! Pete A :) :) :)
Haha thank you
Love the Alan Watt's oratory snippets! Discovered him watching Aurora B.Polaris music videos. You always find some amazing places to explore. Another great video. Hans
Cheers Maureen, much appreciated
Just watched you both on bbc points west Love your videos always look forward to them coming out specially in these uncertain times
Wonderful job as always. Paul give Rebecca some more air time. I am sure everyone wants to hear more of her comments too. And the umbrellas are to protect the cameras- Rebecca! ☔
I did watch the Elliot and Joe Video last month and thought it was pretty good. Also a great video as well, some very interesting buildings there.
Cheers Simon
Brilliant video, the comedy goes superb with the extremely interesting facts. Really enjoyed, thanks guys 👍
Thanks Andrew, that's the balance that we are aiming for.
I came here from Elliot and Joe's channel. I agree their content is awesome and I think yours is too. Love the ruins amongst nature taking back over. These are my kind of spots. Love all the history you give. You got a sub from me. Have a great week. 👍
Fabtastic, thanks Wade, welcome to the channel.
As a cyclist I was surprised that Fussell was using sprocket wheel technology in the 18th Century although the sprocketed bicycle wheel didn't appear until the 19th Century.
Yup literally 70 years ahead of Hans Renold who is credited with the invention
That was a fascinating place! Good background history you gave on it. But then again, I’ve come to expect good history bits and pieces from you.
Thanks Joseph. Very kind.
I'm used to hearing Alan Watts quotations over videos of people growing mushrooms, rather than discovering abandoned buildings. :)
Mushrooms!??
I Never tell you how much I enjoy your videos you two are awesome. I know I don’t comment much but I am here liking them. ✌️keep em coming
Cheers Boss. Means a lot, thank you.
New year, old engineering.. love it!
Keep up the good work fella and lass and stay safe!
Thank you.
My father used to give tours round there; he's also called James Fussell.
Oh well this is brilliant.....
Currently binge watching all your vids after subscribing, love them, thanks for all your efforts!
Who / what is the music in this one?
Wow you two are putting out some great content! I really enjoyed this - great editing too! Subbed to Elliot & Joe - looks good.
Thank you!
Wow, brilliant exploration of our industrial past. The barge lifting system must have saved so much water compared with conventional locks. I’ve subbed to Pablo and Ravioli’s channel. Used to use sprockets and chain a lot working on my Meccano 60 years ago in the pre modern age. Thanks again.
Haha, thanks Martin. We have one more video to come in April ish regarding the balance lock...
@@pwhitewick Hi looking forward to that. I loved sprockets for certainty and precision compared with wonky rubber bands. “When the gap is too big for gears!”
hey paul and rebecca , another great interesting video , i love finding old buildings and exploring them , well done again and thank you :)
Great video. Interesting to see .
.What a fascinating video. Again, you've found history on our doorstep that probably nobody knows about. The Fussells must have been way ahead of their time. What a pity that by 1895 production had ceased, and the company folded in 1900.
Yup way ahead and some.
Good for you Rebecca, my favourite is Marmite on crumpets.
Well thats all kinds of wrong.
@@pwhitewick So what do you put on crumpets?
@@alejandrayalanbowman367 butter.... surely
@@pwhitewick and...?
Would love to see the addition of some map graphics of the country with a dot or flag showing us where you are filming. Maybe in the beginning showing us your planned journey. Possibly show the map of canal systems or something.
Maybe it's my being American and our love of details.
Completely get that Mike. Working on a few ideas so watch this space.
They do show local maps in a lot of their vids (especially the lost railroads and tunnels!) but I agree. I’m not very knowledgeable about the regions within the UK so a whole country map would be really neat!
Loved that you used Alan Watts quotes. It made the video spookier -- in a good way.
I am keen to do a few more like this for that reason. Thanks muchly
Terrific video, what a lot of history. Well done.
Thanks Bob
May I ask why You changed the channel name? Thanks for another great video , nice to see Joe and Elliot tagging along!
We have gone from Whitewicks Abandoned Railways to our own names of late. We tend to do more than railways now so works better for us
Beautifully put together, you must spend a great deal of time editing, end result really quite superb, fascinating area, wish it was closer to me, loved the "Corals under the sun" in the background, an excellent choice, thanks for posting.
Thank you, really appreciated. Yup editing is the single most time consuming thing.
So enjoying your videos/ Cinmatography ! during my imprisonment aka lockdown thanks both ...by the way marmite on toast rocks !!!!
Haha I disagree Merv!!
Another interesting video. Well done. Must try and visit there when the weather is a bit better.
Again, Old Mendip by Robin Atthill covers the Fussell family in great detail. 2nd hand copies available via 'tinternet.
Reminds me of the valleys reaching up to the Peak District from Sheffield.
Have you ever visited the old Palace stadium at Selhurst junction? The grandstand is still there and in use as a storage facility.
Not as yet
@@pwhitewick hi there. jimmysirrelslovechild.co.uk/at-the-match/a-j/crystal-palace Lots of old stadiums had a dedicated platform or station. Ram's Halt is just south of Derby station and I think there is still one at Hillsborough, too.
Fussells had a factory on Station Road Worle near Weston sur la Mud in fact opposite the old station. All I knew that it had a pile of pallets behind the buildings now a care home.
Glad you have finally been to the Fussell works which I believe I mentioned to you about a year ago. I first visited about it 25 years ago with a friend Ray Glover who wrote a little book of walks called Lesser Known Mendip, which includes a sketch map of the site and names its constituent parts. The site had just been cleared of a lot of the undergrowth but you still had to look where you were putting your feet! I have many photos of the site in that condition.
By the way, if I remember correctly, a certain John Horner was commanded to carry some property deeds to London to present to King Henry 8th during the 16th century dissolution of the monasteries. Apparently not all arrived and the Manor of Mells was subsequently acquired by none other than “Little Jack Horner” of nursery rhyme fame. Some plum! Or so the story goes....
Well thats fantastic Mike. Thanks for sharing.
Its all mostly gone now, if you have pics from 25+ years ago, I am sure Frome Museum woud love copies - and the sketch map from the book. I am local, but noticed increased building (maybe conservation?) works there over the past year, so I have been wondering what was happening there (maybe a 'Grand Designs restoration?!!), and stumbled on this video. It would be great to see the pics from 25yrs ago - could you do a TH-cam video of them?
@rupedog I had a tour around the restoration site recently by the guy who has brought the land where the Iron Works is and he is restoring the west side building into a home and is going to power it by the river. One man band and later a plumber and electrician will be on site. Very aware of the bats and protection of the factory remains. So fingers crossed it'll look great and maybe accessible for the public to visit. There will be a display/ mini exhibition area of finds, such as tools excavated.
Great video Love the Cat on the stairs 😺
The ruin of the Fussells' works is a fascinating place and it is easy to spend all day there.
Their products were the best edge tools you could get but sadly the business eventually failed and the buildings were left to fall into ruins because the agricultural world had moved on. By the end of the nineteenth century farmers didn't want dozens of workers doing everything by hand, they wanted machines. Enter the likes of Marshalls and Ransomes and goodbye to Fussells. What was left of Fussells was sold and via various changes in ownership ended up as part of Spear and Jackson.
As always a fascinating video and I always look forward to your latest. I hope that you have got enough content in hand to keep going over the next couple of months until things start to open up again and we are all allowed to travel. I guess you filmed this video a few weeks ago, maybe in November. I went for a walk from my home yesterday and met quite a few other people on my way from Shepton Mallet halfway to Frome and back. The topic on everyone's lips was how far that little word 'local' means and whether they will be unlucky enough to be stopped by the police and asked where they are going. My mother told me that three women sitting outside a cafe in her village this weekend, who had all walked there from their homes in the village, had been questioned by the police and told to go home.
Really interesting video! Just stumbled across your channel. I do a lot of walking in the Derbyshire Peak District and love all the remnants of old industry that you can find. All the best!👍
Cheers Des. Hit that Subscribe button
@@pwhitewick Already done👍 😁 My own channel hasn't been going very long, but would appreciate your thoughts!
Best video yet.
Cheers John. I kind of feel like it's up there for sure.
Fascinating video! Thank you!
Thank you very much.
I am reminded a little of the Hammer Ponds in Sussex which date back to even earlier industrial times, a critically important part of the iron industry in Tudor and Stuart times. That involved a lot of damming of small rivers and streams through steep hills. Water power was critical for driving the bellows for blast furnaces, not to mention hammering of course.
Cheers Steve. I think the hammwrs where placed in the arches that we saw
Very interesting, enjoyed very much. The drones are a substitute for something then?..
Apparently so....😂
Enjoyed that, once again, as I went to school at Wells Cathedral and this area was one we went through on the way to Bath etc. Lots of rain I remember. The old coalfield thataway had one or two inclined planes I think.In the old days one could get Yeastvite tablets for a bit of 'go'. I would admit to marmite on cucumber.
Thanks Robin, we are quite keen to see if any of the old inclines around Radstock are still visible in any way!
That is nearly as frustrating as finding out the Foo Fighters had played at the Cheese and Grain the night before and I didn't get to see them! Aaaaarrrgh! You guys were literally a few minutes away from me in Frome!
I believe we frequented Asda Frome and had an interview with bbc radio Wilts all at the same time... 🤪
@@pwhitewick We do a daily walk down to the place you all met up, stand on the bridge and watch the wildlife for a few minutes and then head home! If you came from the Frome direction to the spot you parked, you would have actually driven past Simon King's house (useless fact ;-) )
It is a shame that this forge is now a ruin, I have tools with the Fussel mark & have visited the ruins, Finch Foundry in Devon gives an idea of how such places once where
It's taken me a while to get used to you, to accept and tune in to you but that was great. Well done guys
Thanks Peter.
new vidio and marmite fantastic!!!
Double tick.
Brilliant video as always. Could there have once been a building over the river at 06:07? The whole site reminds me of Healey Dell in Greater Manchester.
Hi there Paul and Rebecca watching your video at the moment it’s interesting to see because are used to live in a cottage in nunny Just stuck behind a castle Is where the fussls works Used to be into the 1920s and 30s the waterwheel still there but come the Second World War scrap drive it was actually taken away don’t have a lot of photographs of it that is so X but is still rather interesting Michael
Cheers for sharing Michael.
That was differently interesting (if there is such a phrase). I love water management; designing it is a skill in its own right and it’s probably why I love manually working canal locks! Interesting point about sprocketed chains; the Romans used them, including in connection with mechanisms for lifting water out of wells. I expect Fussell took them a step further and patented them.
Another good (and subtly different) video. Thank you.
And Rebecca - umbrellas clearly make you walk faster in the rain 🤔
Iv just got to get to south England so mutch to see and do. You get too mutch mountains and snow up here in north scotland i need a change thanks you two .
there’s a tunnel down Newland to the Right of the road, unfortunately you can’t get in but it’s pretty cool 👍
On the quarry line?
Did those buggers run off with all the umbrellas and leave you without one Rebecca? lol I take it drone footage was taken a different day as no way would risk drone in that weather :) Always love your video production. Ok, drone question answered lol
Haha,...... ok so we definitely had to wait for the rain to stop before the drones came out. Otherwise we would have fried the copper for sure.
Hi - nice video! James Gale is the name I use for music - actual name is (wait for it...) James Fussell. I was part of the Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society (BIAS) team that worked on the Fussells' Lower Works site for years in the 1970s.There were a few publications in the BIAS Journal. I guess you're familiar with the late Robin Atthill's book 'Old Mendip', which has a chapter devoted to the Fussells, though quite a bit more has become known since the book was first published. You probably know that there were six Fussells' works in total: not only Mells Lower Works, the big one and the main subject of this video, and Mells Upper Works, which you just touched on, but also Chantry Works, Great Elm Works, Nunney Works and Railford Works; there were also other edge tool works associated with the extended Fussell family by marriage! The Fussells had other interests too - they were quite heavily involved with one or two of the local coal mines and with canals and railways. Then there was the brewery... (And I am, indeed, the father of the James Fussell who commented below!)
James... its a pleasure. We would love to meet (when time allows).... and maybe include you in a future video? If you have email we would love to get in touch.
@@pwhitewick Meeting might be a wee bit awkward - I live in Sweden now! But I'll send a note with my email address to your email... 😎
Bass Charrington brought back 'Fussels Bitter' for a time, I think in about 1983.
@@JimTLonW6 They did indeed! I'm looking at a Fussell's Traditional Draught Best Bitter bar mat (if that's the correct term - it's towelling, presumably to sit on the bar) pinned to the wall above my monitor right now; got a couple of beer mats filed away too...
Marmite 😋 Somerset, industrial ruins and Alan Watts....these are a few of my favourite things 👍
Haha,...... me too. Apart form Marmite.
Nice Vid. You need to check out Newlands World Heritage site to see how it looked. Its all very beautiful. Very similar to what you saw but fantastically well preserved.
As a local who has walked and ridden along there many times, I found this interesting, though didnt get a clear view of what was what and where. I found this vid becuase they are doing some building works (slowly - over years) to the main fenced off building, that I believe used to be the accommodation block. There are a couple of older (2015 & 2020) reports on the 28dayslater website.
Great video as always!
Lovely old water powered industrial site .
Probably a lot more to see in better weather
Do you count former railway stations which are now operated by the Manchester Metrolink? If so try the Rochdale to Manchester line with two stations that have completely disappeared (Oldham Mumps and Oldham Werneth) and one given a new name and several new stations which have appeared just for the metrolink
Nice to see your cat make a brief appearance. Weird question, but how many moggies do you have?
How you two have not been picked up for a TV series, I’ll never quite understand.
Thanks Monty that's very kind.
Great video as always content and quality top stuff
Your country has some of best hiking areas hooked together with paths crisscrossing the whole country side
I love my routes!
Marmite on toast - always thought Rebecca was the cool one, now we know. Marmite forever.
"Dislike"...... Lol.
Here in the USA 🇺🇸 our preferred spreads on toast are: butter 🧈, cream cheese 🥯, jellies, jams, & of course, PEANUT 🥜 BUTTER
Great explore, love it! At approx. 12.40 you say you can't get in as it's under construction....what is being constructed, in what looks to be an abandoned ruin?
We have a rather horrible feeling its being turned into a posh dwelling!
@@pwhitewick - Oh, no! A ruin, ruined forever?
@@Poultrymad I really hope a lot can be protected.
I've been waiting for more on Fussell since the last video about the canal and his caissons. I could spend all day there trying to figure what went on and when and probably failing. Someone of that ingenuity would be bound to have tried out things and there might be evidence left of his way of thinking in the archaeology. There's certainly evidence of later use or repurposing too.
I've discovered that if you microwave a jar of Marmite for say 30 secs on full till liquid, you can add some of your favourite hot chilli sauce to taste- as a guide, say enough to top up a jar that's about 1/8th used. Stir well, let it set, and spread liberally. It's a marriage made in heaven that's too easily overlooked. You can do it with Vegemite too but it doesn't heat the same. It stays fairly gloopy like heated bicycle grease, so it needs a jolly good stir to mix in the sauce.
Both go well with potato scones and oatcakes, (and quite possibly the Vegemite option is suitable for Shimano mid range hubs- so I've been told ).
Neil.... the first paragraph I can completely appreciate..... the second however......
Alan Watts, profound quotes!
Absolutely yes.
You have Marmite we have Vegemite tasted both and I really don't mind which one I have ... on toast they are both a nice lil' snack to nibble on ...
lol Marmite on toast not to bad, Great video Paul & Rebecca!
Clearly you are wrong Theo,..... Marmite on toast is bad!... 😂
@@pwhitewick LOL
Content gone up a notch today. I know who would have thought it possible?
Cheers Owen, I assure you its Elliot and Joe's influence.
Also to add - this valley is locally know as 'Vallis'. I had no idea it was 'Wadbury valley', I doubt 99.9% of locals would recognise that name - its Vallis... even the local veg business is called 'Vallis Veg' etc.
Maybe it comes from 'Valley', IDK, but anyone searching for vid on it who is local will be searching for Vallis, so you should add that into your tags
So James Fussell was a real father of industry then, not a Brunel or Brindley, but important none the less.
I'll be shot down in flames for saying it, but YES. There are so many unsung entrepreneurs and we really enjoyed uncovering this one!
bec love the marmite but love the channel more history wins good luck
Nice shade of Lipstick Rebecca, did anyone notice you were wearing it ?
May I recommend boiled tomato on Marmite toast. You're welcome!
No. No you may not
I'm a Marmite lover too Rebecca, I want Marmite on toast now!
I'll wait until the end of the video though!