Bleach Green

River Eamont (Part 11)

We are now a little further along the river from where Mayburgh Henge is, and on the opposite side. We have almost reached Eamont Bridge, but I have stopped here because I was interested in the name ‘Bleach Green’ on the OS map. I felt this had to have a link with the textile industry and sure enough through the trees in the picture you can see a house and buildings that was once a Bleach Mill. Here cloth, such as cotton and linen, was boiled, bleached and rinsed using water from the river. It is likely that a channel was dug out to bring the water to the mill. 
 
The green area you can see between the mill and river was what was known, not surprisingly, as the Green and this was where the cloth was stretched out on poles to dry. I’ve mentioned tenterhooks in a previous blip, used to attach the cloth and hold it in a tension whilst it was drying, and it is likely that they were used here. Hard to imagine all this activity now, as one looks across at a house in an idyllic and peaceful situation.
 
Note the pebbles thrown up by the river as it rushes past at some speed. Just like the ones carried up from the water hundreds of years ago to build Mayburgh Henge.
  
The extra picture gives a better view of how wide and fast the river is flowing as it arrives at this spot.