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| By the early 1800s, as Britain's empire continued to expand, large amounts of rope and twine were required for trading vessels and warships. As a result, production in this flax- and hemp-rich corner of Somerset became almost industrialised, with over 30 'ropewalks', as they were known, recorded across the county. |  Dawe's Twine Works
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Set within a complex of 19th and early 20th century buildings, the Grade II* Listed ropewalk at Dawe's Twine Works is believed to be the most complete surviving example of a late 19th century rural twine works. The works were acquired by the Dawe family in 1889 and point twine went on to be manufactured by three subsequent generations of the family until the closure of the works in 1968. The Ropewalk is of particular historic significance as it retains much of its original machinery.
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Originally, hand winding would have taken place in the open, but the introduction of machinery to the process necessitated cover while retaining airy conditions. The Ropewalk at Dawe's Twine Works comprises two floors – the upper floor where the twine was wound and the lower open-sided floor where it would have been finished off. This 100-yard-long mainly timber building would have required its workers to walk the equivalent of 12 miles a day during the winding process.
Power for the mechanised winding would have first been provided by a steam engine set in the only brick building on the site – the engine house. The steam engine would later be replaced by an oil-gas engine and later still by electric motors.
Today the ropewalk appears substantially dilapidated. The weight of the roman clay tile roof is such that it requires support from scaffolding and chains tied to trees to prevent the building's collapse.
It is hoped that restoration would not only help to preserve the fabric of this unique record of this major part of the heritage of Somerset, but also provide funds for the creation of new visitor facilities.
West Coker in Somerset first appears in church tithe records in 1309. Even then the village appears to have had a close relationship with the cultivation and use of hemp, which may have been used to make twine, rope and canvas as far back as medieval and Roman times.
Set just three miles from Yeovil, West Coker sits on the Jurassic Yeovil sands considered to be favourable for the growth of hemp. But while famed for its manufacture of canvas and rope, West Coker was also a centre for leatherwork and in particular glove making. Today this vibrant village is a conservation area and home to around 2,060 people.
This article can be found on the Internet at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/restoration/2006/sw_dawes_twine_works_01.shtml
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