Ruscombe Brook

Ruscombe Brook
The brook flows through the pond at The Lawns, Cainscross
Location within Gloucestershire
Location
Country	England
Counties	Gloucestershire
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Ruscombe
• coordinates	51°45′55″N 2°14′13″W / 51.7652°N 2.2370°W / 51.7652; -2.2370 (Most northerly source)
Mouth
• location	Stroudwater Navigation
• coordinates	51°44′33″N 2°14′16″W / 51.7425°N 2.2377°W / 51.7425; -2.2377 (Stroudwater Navigation)

Ruscombe Brook is a small river in Gloucestershire, England. It rises on the southern edge of the village of Ruscombe and flows southwards. At Puckshole it is joined on its right bank by a tributary originating near Randwick. It continues southwards and flows into the Stroudwater Navigation, although formerly it passed under the canal in a culvert and flowed into the River Frome. Historically, it supplied power to several water mills.

Ruscombe Brook rises as a series of springs to the south-east of the small village of Ruscombe. To the east is Whiteshill, which is part of the civil parish of Whiteshill and Ruscombe. Near Ruscombe Farm it flows through a pond. It continues southwards to reach Humphries End, where it is joined on its right bank by its main tributary. This flows southwards from a series of springs near Randwick, turns towards the south-east, and passes under Ruscombe Road to reach the junction. The combined flow passes through Puckshole, and then between Hamwell Leaze to the west and Park End and Highfield to the east. A five-arched viaduct carries the Golden Valley Railway over the brook, which continues under the A4171 and A419 roads to reach Cainscross. It flows through another pond, and then empties into the Stroudwater Navigation close to Dudbridge Lock.^[1] Formerly, it flowed under the canal through a culvert, and continued to the west of Stroud Urban District Council's sewage works to enter the River Frome.^[2]

Despite its small size, the brook has supplied power to at least four water mills. They were associated with the woolen industry, although some also served as corn mills. Following the river downstream, these were Ruscombe Mill, Puckshole Mill, Paganhill Mill, which was also known as Little Mill or Bournes Mill, and Ozlebrook Mill. All of the mills have been demolished.^[3]

Ruscombe Mill was part of the Ruscombe Farm estate, and the first documentary evidence for it dates from 1439. At the time it was a corn mill, and was still in use as a corn mill in 1728. A farmhouse has been recorded there since 1532, but the present building dates from around 1600.^[4] The farmhouse is a grade II listed structure,^[5] as is the nearby barn, which dates from the mid-18th century.^[6] The mill may have been used to produce cloth at some point, since it was leased by a clothier called Daniel Gardner in 1648, and by his son Giles Gardner in 1677, who also worked in the cloth trade. It had been demolished by 1819.^[3]

Puckshole Mill benefitted from the increase in flow as it was located below the confluence with the stream from Randwick. Thomas Ellery owned it in 1822, and it was subsequently taken over by Harman and Adey, who manufactured cloth. Their business failed in 1871, when they became bankrupt. It then became a corn mill, known as Vale Mill,^[3] and was still shown as operational in 1914.^[2] Although the mill has been demolished, the three-storey mill house, which dates from the early 18th century, still occupies the site.^[7]

Paganhill Mill may have been the one mentioned in a deed dating from 1679, when a former grist mill was sold to Thomas Warner of Paganhill. At the time of the sale, it was in use as a fulling mill, part of the process of producing woollen cloth. Warner was a clothier by trade. The mill was leased by various owners to tenants during the early 19th century, and from 1897 to 1906 was worked by the King family.^[3] By 1914 it was known as Little Mill, and was milling corn. There was a millpond with a sluice just to the north of the building.^[2] Other sources record that a new corn mill was built on the site in 1815, and that the mill house was used as the farm house for Little Mill Farm from 1936 until the 1960s.^[8]

Ozlebrook Mill was probably the corn mill leased by Mrs Field of Paganhill in 1736, which may have been a cloth mill as some point. By 1830 it was being operated by a grinder of shears called William CLutterbuck. It reverted to a corn mill, before being demolished. ^[3] 1914 mapping shows a large pond, which begins to the north of the railway viaduct and continues through it. A brewery was located at its southern end.^[2]

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