Another Hike at the Shoddy Mill Preserve

It was a beautiful day - especially for February! Sunny and in the mid forties when I took this late afternoon hike....

A Return to Shoddy Mill Dam

Back in June 2021 - I paid a visit to this dam ruin. It's a very peaceful park and I returned today to explore a bit further north.

Nearing the dam

At the Dam

Underground spillway entrance

 The Trail Continues On

I turned around where the trail got a little too overgrown - but I'll be back as there is a lot more to explore...

a little too overgrown!

Second Visit - Shoddy Mill Hollow

I returned for a second visit to this park to get a closer view of the old dam. It was hard to find the trail on the east side of the creek that led to the dam.

The hard-to-locate trail head

A short hike

At the Dam

The pond

This was a covered gate to a small sluiceway

A Short Video

Perhaps there were supporting wooden structures here?

Why is it called "shoddy"?

This mill produced “shoddy” (reclaimed wool, usually made from rags, which can be processed into felt or fabric of inferior quality.

"Shoddy is the name given to an inferior woolen yarn made by shredding scraps of woolen rags into fibers, grinding them and then mixing them with small amounts of new wool. The object was to manufacture a cheap cloth which could be made into products and clothes."

Shoddy Mill Open Space

The walk in

At the former dam

Onward...

Climbing back up the ridge and heading North

The Loop back

A short but satisfying hike...