Dunkirk Mill Museum
A restored woollen mill near Nailsworth where guides demonstrate cloth-finishing machinery driven by a large overshot waterwheel.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Dunkirk Mill was a woollen mill in the Nailsworth valley, one of many cloth mills that shaped the Stroud valleys. Its last major rebuilding took place in 1855, when the Stroud engineer James Ferrabee installed the overshot waterwheel that still powers the machinery today.
The mill specialised in finishing cloth after it had come off the loom. Today guides demonstrate the finishing machines on guided visits, and an exhibition explains how the site developed during the 18th and 19th centuries. A cross-cutter, a 19th-century machine for shearing cloth, was brought here from Wallbridge Mill.
The museum was set up with a Local Heritage Initiative grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a grant from the Tanner Trust paid for its interpretation panels. It is run by the Stroudwater Textile Trust, a charity that also looks after Gigg Mill, and it holds Full Accreditation from Arts Council England.
Highlights
- Overshot waterwheel, about 12 ft wide and 13 ft in diameter, installed in 1855
- Guided demonstrations of cloth-finishing machinery
- Cross-cutter cloth-shearing machine from Wallbridge Mill
- Exhibition on the development of the mill site in the 18th and 19th centuries
Permanent exhibitions
- Cloth-finishing machinery and waterwheel – Guided demonstrations of the machines that finished woollen cloth, powered by the mill's overshot waterwheel when water levels allow.
- Development of the Dunkirk Mills site – An exhibition on how the mill site grew and changed during the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Stroudwater Textile Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £2Under-18s and students |
| Children & teens | £2free up to age 7 · Under-18s pay £2; children must be accompanied by an adult. |
| Students & apprentices | £2 |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Groups of 10 or more book by email (education@stroudtextiletrust.org.uk for school groups). |
Members of the Stroudwater Textile Trust enter free but must book; membership is checked on arrival.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is fully accessible for wheelchair users and has an accessible toilet. Assistance dogs are welcome; other dogs are admitted at the discretion of the guide and may be asked to wait outside.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 7 |
|---|
Children under 8 enter free, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
A46 at Dunkirk Mill
Buses stop on the A46 at Dunkirk Mill; follow the driveway to visitor parking.
By car
Parking available
Blue Badge parking beside the museum is signposted as visitor parking. Other visitors can use the large Egypt Mill car park and must register their number plate inside Egypt Mill on arrival.
- Accessible parking
On foot, the museum is about 15 minutes from Egypt Mill along the cycle track through the old railway tunnel.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
There is no café at the museum; cafés and eateries can be found in Nailsworth town.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits are by guided tour only. School and group bookings can be arranged by email to the Trust's education contact. |
