Future looks bright for Tone Works site in Wellington

Move a little further north and you pass a number of housing developments in the shadow of the disused Tonedale Mill, with light industry dotted around on various streets.

But go just a little further on the road out toward Milverton and you’ll pass one of the town’s most treasured pieces of heritage – and what the district council hopes will one day become a focal point for businesses and the community.

The Tone Works site was one part of a wider complex owned and operated by Fox Brothers & Co. Ltd., one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of woollen and worsted garments in the south west.

The original corn mill, which once stood on the banks of the River Tone, was acquired by Quaker businessman Thomas Fox in 1796, who turned it into the finishing works for a business which, at its height, employed 5,000 people.

The site is a fascinating snapshot of Wellington’s changing history, with more buildings being added over time as water power gave way to steam and eventually electrical power.

By the time it was granted listed status in the late-1990s – Grade II*, to be precise – the Tone Works site remained in active use, with a complete set of historical machinery being retained.

The building closed its doors for good in 2000, and while the machinery remains in place, much of the site fell into disrepair over the following decades, earning it a place on Heritage England’s ‘at risk’ register.

But the future is now looking a lot brighter for Tone Works. Since the site was purchased by Somerset West and Taunton Council in 2020, numerous phases of work have been carried out to preserve the site and allow it to be opened back up in the future for a range of commercial or community uses.

The council has received more than £900,000 in central government grants to decontaminate the site and carry out much-needed repairs, with the third such phase of work currently well under way to stabilise the “envelope” of the complex, opening up safe access to different parts of the site.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service was granted an exclusive tour of the site, getting to see this extraordinary set of buildings in all their glory.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service was granted an exclusive tour of the Tone Works site. (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Walking into the main building from its eastern entrance, you’re greeted by dozens of incredible machines, ranging from the late-18th century all the way up to the 1970s.

You could call it a charnel house of British manufacturing – and given the way the buildings were extended over the decades, it has a higgledy-piggledly flavour to it.

There’s even traces of the last generation of employees who worked there, with one table being festooned with old teacups, a biscuit tin and even a copy of 1990s sex comedy Nudity Required (featuring Catwoman herself, Julie Newmar).

But in spite of these touches – and some choice graffiti – this doesn’t feel like a graveyard where machines have just been left to rust, unloved and unwanted.

It’s more like a museum waiting to be created, a cathedral of craftsmanship, and a reminder of how the Georgians and Victorians really built things to last.

Not only is Tone Works on the river, but the river literally runs through it – the sound of water cascading over an indoor weir is deafening, and you can see the site of the original water wheel which provided power.

There are even ponds inside one of the buildings, used either to supply the machines or as part of the multiple finishing processes.

You’d expect, therefore, that there’d be no trace left of any of the materials which were woven for export – and yet numerous machines still have cloth on them, preserved in surprisingly good condition.

All of the belts which powered the machines from the steam engines remain in place – if you fired them up tomorrow, the chances are they would stand up to the strain.

Where repairs have been undertaken – such as replacing joists – they have been done by local specialist craftspeople, using traditional techniques and materials which complement the buildings while ensuring they will still be standing for decades to come.

The building fell into disrepair after it closed its doors in 2000. (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and transport, said: “I am truly impressed with the quality of craftsmanship carried out by some of the best heritage specialists and contractors working in the sector, along with engineers, ecologists and carpenters using local materials.

“With these continued works, we aim to bring this important part of Somerset’s industrial heritage back to life with commercial, cultural and creative uses.

“We look forward to welcoming members of the community to the site once it is safely accessible.”

All the machinery in Tone Works is listed along with the building itself, so there are limits as to how much parts of the space can be reconfigured.

While it’s only a few miles from the working Coldharbour Mill in Uffculme, just over the border in Devon, operating the site like a working museum is probably out of the question.

But because the complex comprises so many unusually shaped spaces, it could end up serving many different uses at the same time.

Where one building could house small fashion businesses, using the same techniques that were perfected by the generations which came before them, its next door neighbour could be used for staging community events, plays or concerts.

John Ette, partnerships team leader at Historic England, said: “This is a rare surviving example of a textile mill with all its working machinery, and is important to the story of Wellington and its communities, past and present.

“We believe it has great potential for the future, too, and we’re proud to support this major regeneration project.”

While the current grants will be sufficient to stabilise and secure the building, they are not the limit of the council’s ambition for the site.

The site has been subject to two failed bids to the government’s levelling up fund – and with a further bidding round expected to be announced shortly, the new unitary Somerset Council may feel that the third time really is the charm.

Mr Rigby said: “The Tone Works site is an important part of our national and local industrial heritage and we are committed to ensuring it is preserved for future generations and developed to its full potential.

“Thanks to funding from Historic England, we have successfully completed two phases of repair and are part way through phase three.

“This is only the first step towards securing the site for the community and the nation into the future.  Despite the recent disappointing news that our levelling up fund bid was unsuccessful, we are grateful for the support we were given towards the bid and in advance of our future endeavours to protect the buildings.

“We look forward to welcoming members of the community into the site through a series of tours once phase three is complete.”

The council has “successfully completed two phases of repair and are part way through phase three”. (Image: Daniel Mumby)

The council recently completed the purchase of 62.5 acres of green space between the Tonedale area and Rockwell Green using proceeds from local housing developments.

The land, along with Fox’s Field near Tonedale Mill, will be leased to Wellington Town Council for 150 years to allow the community greater access to green space in Wellington.

The town council will work with community groups to enhance the green space, which will build on the work to open up Tone Works for the community.

Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow has given her backing to the Tone Works project, and will be pushing for more funding in the years to come.

She said: “I recently visited the site to view the work in progress and I was very impressed by the quality of craftmanship.

“This is a demanding but exciting project and will offer a range of opportunities for development, business and the community. The development will also link to the proposed Wellington rail station.

“I have championed this project and worked to attract significant funds from government to accelerate it through its business case stages.

“Lining up projects like this will all help bring economic prosperity to the town,
and as our MP, I’m fully supporting them.”