Site of the former bleachery which bleached linen between 1826 and 1922. The works was run by Samuel Coward who had previously owned Hoyle Mill bleachery. Swithen Bleachworks was thought to be the best in the country and may have employed up to 100 men at its height who lived in the surrounding area. Clean water is important for bleaching as is a large amount of land which cloth can be hung out over. (Taylor 1993). There are very few buildings from the bleachery remaining but the reservoir which was filled from local springs remains. The site is now reused for farming. Prior to the formation of the bleachery this land was already enclosed fields. These were probably assarted from woodland by burning; hence the name Swithen (Smith 1961,320). There is significant legibility of the former enclosed landscape although some boundaries have been lost when the motorway cut though the site.