Fussell’s Ironworks – Great Elm Village

Industrial archaeology – Fussell’s iron works

For almost two centuries the name Fussell was tied to the beating heart of Somerset’s iron industry. From the early 1700s until the end of the 19th century, the family of Quaker origins ran a chain of water-powered forges along the Mells River between Great Elm, Mells and Nunney. Their works supplied tools to farmers across the world and left a landscape of ruins, patents and stories that still fascinate today.

The Fussell Family – Origins and Legacy

James Fussell III (1710/11 – 1779)
- Born at Stoke Lane (now Stoke St Michael).
- In 1744, leased land from John Horner of Mells Manor to build the first mills at Wadbury Valley.
- Buried at Stoke Lane parish church (grave site not marked, but parish registers record his death).
James Fussell IV (1748 – 1832)
- Born in Stoke Lane; son of James III.
- Lived at Mells Park area while managing the works.
- Buried in Mells churchyard, though the exact location of his grave is debated; some family memorials survive inside St Andrew’s, Mells.
- Famous for his 1798 “balance lock” patent and his canal ventures.
John Fussell (dates uncertain, active 1760s–1780s)
- Managed the Nunney works from 1766.
- Likely buried in Nunney churchyard – fragmentary records exist.
Austin Fussell (late 18th century)
- Partner at Mells.
- Lines of his descendants later moved out of Somerset as the trade declined.

The Iron Works Complex

By the early 19th century, the Fussells ran a network of at least six sites:

Upper Works – upstream, early forge site.
Lower Works (Mells, Vallis Vale) – main surviving ruins, with long rows of workshops, arches, and wheel pits.
Great Elm Works – forge and grinding shops closer to the village.
Chantry Works – a specialist works.
Railford Works (Vallis Vale).
Nunney Works – downstream on Nunney Brook.
Gurney Slade Works – more distant, showing the reach of the family.

Inventions & Innovations

1798 – Patent for the balance lock (canal boat lift). An experimental version was built near Frome; ruins of the Dorset & Somerset Canal line can still be traced.
1800 – Patent for an early roller chain, later recognised as an ancestor of modern industrial chain drives.
The Fussells were also bold in finance, once issuing their own banknotes.

Decline & End

Mid-19th century: Water power became inadequate compared with steam-driven urban foundries.
The agricultural depression cut tool sales.
By 1895, production ceased. The company was dissolved in 1900.
The ruins, once noisy with hammers and wheels, (creating Bedlam) fell silent and nature reclaimed them.

Anecdotes & Local Colour

“Wherever grass grew” – a common saying about Fussell scythes, sold in Russia, America and Australia.
Villagers told of the strange wooden “balance lock” structure rising in the valley, which drew visitors from miles around.
Oral tradition: families worked together — children carrying water or tending grindstones, women finishing edges, men forging blades.
Today, the ruins provide sanctuary for horseshoe bats, a living reminder of the valley’s shifting use.

Visiting Today

Places connected to the Fussells in and around Great Elm

The Old Iron Works (Lower Works, Mells/Vallis Vale) Scheduled Ancient Monument and SSSI. Accessible by footpaths from Great Elm or Mells. Visitors should stay on marked paths (buildings are unsafe).
Great Elm village – the Mells Brook and leats still show traces of industry.
St Andrew’s Church, Mells – look for memorials to members of the Fussell family inside the church; graves may be found in the churchyard.
Nunney Castle & Church – a short walk reveals the village where John Fussell managed a branch works.
Frome Museum – holds original Fussell tools, photographs, and plans.
Somerset Archives (Taunton) – for those researching deeper, archival papers and photographs are available.
https://www.christinawhitephotography.co.uk/my-work/fussells-ironworks/