Spring is now here, and the birds are active in Mercers Wood. Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrushes, Robins, Wrens and Chaffinches can be heard singing. A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers (male and female) have taken up residence in the wood. I have seen one or both frequently since the last week of January. Let’sRead more about Latest sightings in Mercers Wood[…]
Read more Latest sightings in Mercers Wood
A Brief History.
Mercer Wood now occupies the area next to the River Trent that was part of the old Union Oil mill that was owned by the Mercer family. It is almost two centuries since the Mercer family, who were prominent business people in Gainsborough, built a wind powered oil processing mill by the side of the River.
Production continued on the site until the closure of the mill in the mid-20th century. The mill was demolished in 1935, then allotments were introduced, no doubt to boost local food production during the Second World War. After they fell into disuse, the area had been unmanaged and subject to fly-tipping. Trees, largely Sycamore, have grown on and around the site to give us the woodland that we see today.
This section of our site contains information that we have been able to find on the area and the Mercer family.
The following is a copy of a document regarding Mercer's Mill known otherwise as the Union Mill located on the bank of the River Trent in Gainsborough Lincolnshire.
The document is not signed or dated but is on the letterhead of J. B. Edlington & Company Limited, Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers of Carr Lane, Gainsborough Lincolnshire. I am grateful to Mrs Sue Edlington and the Gainsborough Heritage Association for giving permission to use the document on our web site