|
|
|
|
A Walk About Inveresk The Riverside Walk Known locally as the Grove, you can get to the River Esk via the track facing St. Michaels Kirk or Windy Wynd. 
The path is well-maintained. 
The path follows the river closely for over two miles. 
There is always a peaceful place to rest. 
The river slowly winds its way to the North Sea. 
The swans are extremely friendly. 
Along the way you will find the place where a bit of industry still remains in Musselburgh. The Esk Mills area was very busy until about 1950 when there were some 3000 people employed. The Musselburgh Paper Mill produced specialty papers from the 1850's until its closure in 1971. 
An opening in the riverside fence leads you to the weir, known affectionately as The Falls. Here is the Sluice Gate which controlled the flow of water from the Esk through the mill lade which serviced the three great mills (paper, wire, and net) and the small mills and tanneries in the centre of town. 
Eskmills is now being renovated. The Eskmills comprises a group of fine decorative stone faced Victorian mill buildings, overlooking a large central courtyard area, and which once housed a thriving cotton fishing net manufacturing business that exported throughout the world. They were home to the first large scale mechanised production of fishing nets in the World following the invention in 1812 of the first net manufacturing machine by Colonel James Paterson, who had retired to Musselburgh to work on his inventions. Now, after many years of neglect the buildings are being impressively restored creating a totally unique setting for a variety of new ultra modern offices. A thriving business community of over five hundred people now exists at Eskmills and the final stage is due for completion in 2006. Colonel James Paterson a local to Musselburgh invented the first machine capable of tying knots for the manufacture of fishing nets. When he died his company was bought along with the patents for the knot tying machines by J. W. Stuart who established a new factory for the manufacture of fishing nets on the banks of the River Esk. J. W. Stuart expanded the business into a world leader within the fishing net industry, with sales and repair facilities in North America, Europe and Australia. The classical four-story Net Mill has been completely refurbished.. 
Here is excerpt from 1885 Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome: The making of nets and twine is an important industry, dating from 1820. It was carried on in a factory built in 1854 near the station, which was doubled in size in 1867, and superseded a smaller factory of 15 years' standing. The present establishment is probably the largest net-factory in the country, and produces a very large quantity of goods. It includes a weaving shed with 300 looms; hemp repairing and hemp spinning departments, with 3500 spindles; and a fine cotton mill with 2000 spindles, and machinery driven by 2 engines of 100 horse-power each. There are 450 net machines; and in addition to 1200 bales of cotton annually prepared in the mill within the factory, about 5 tons of cotton per week, brought from Manchester, etc., are used in the manufacture. About 700 hands, many of them women, are employed in this industry. Beside the net-factory stands a paper-mill, which has two large machines; employs 300 hands; and turns out about 50 tons of paper per week. There are also an extensive wire-mill and tinning and galvanizing work... At its height Stuart's mills employed over 800 people in cotton processing and rope manufacturing. The mill played a major part in the local economy, and dominated the fishing net manufacturing industry for decades. Throughout the World, Scotch Weave Nets became the generic name for machine produced nets. The mill's domination of the market faltered when newer man-made materials were introduced namely nylon and teryline (Dacron). Their late adoption of the stronger and cheaper materials handed their competitors a considerable advantage, and the Esk Net Mills slowly declined. The factory eventually closed and a new company, which set up near by manufacturing nets from synthetic materials, bought the name J. W. Stuart because of the reputation associated with it.
|
