Monument record MDO43743 - Poole National Sawmill, Lower Hamworthy, Poole

A First World War National Sawmill was established at Hamworthy in 1917. It was administered by Messrs J T Sydenham and Company on behalf of the Ministry of Munitions. National Saw Mills provided cut timber to make and repair ammunition boxes at the National Box Factories. Alternative names include: J T Sydenham & C, National Sawmill, Sydenhams Saw Mill.

A First World War National Sawmill was established at Hamworthy, Poole in 1917. It was administered by Messrs. J. T. Sydenham & Company on behalf of the Ministry of Munitions. National Saw Mills provided cut timber to make and repair ammunition boxes at the National Box Factories. They were usually established at existing mills and after the armistice reverted to their owners to return to normal production. A Ministry of Munitions Inspector was employed to ensure stocks received were properly accounted for and cut. In wartime the mills had to utilize home-grown timber, although this introduced the problem of having to dry the wood in a short space of time. Drying kilns were therefore erected. In 1918 additional problems included a poor quality of timber supplies and difficulty obtaining labour. Many factories utilised women to carry out the lighter sawing. In autumn 1918 there were 1,200 employees in the sawmills of whom 53 per cent were women. By March 1918 the capital expenditure on the twelve national sawmills was £30,481. <1>

A timber yard is shown on the 1890, 1902 and 1925 OS Maps just to the north of Hamworthy Railway Station on Blandford Road. This seems to be the likely position for the First World War sawmill. There is still a sawmill at the same location, part of which may include the original buildings. <2-5>

An old photograph on the Poole history online website shows the chimney of the sawmill in the background. <6>

<1> Naval & Military Press, 1922, The Official History of the Ministry of Munitions: Volume VIII Control of Industrial Capacity and Equipment
Published by Naval & Military Press in association with the Imperial War Museum., 219-220 (Monograph). SDO17949.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1890 (Map). SWX1197.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1902 (Map). SWX1197.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1925 (Map). SWX1197.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 2012 (Map). SWX1197.

<6> Higginbotham, P, 2000, World Wide Web page andlt;http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ (Digital archive). SDO17705.

Poole history online website. Retrieved from <<http://www.poolehistory.org.uk/node/313047>> on 25th March 2013.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1573383 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 16 2022 3:14PM