Building
Fulling trough
Fulling cleaned and thickened woven woollen cloth by pounding it in water, traditionally by walking or trampling it in a trough, often with fuller's earth to remove grease. The cloth was then stretched on tenter frames to dry to size. Water-powered fulling mills were introduced into England in the second half of the 12th century, spreading through the Cistercians and military orders, but foot fulling remained common.
Caveats (confidence: high)
Fuller's earth and other agents are well attested for medieval fulling, but specific 12th-century recipes are not recorded in the sources consulted.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · historicengland.org.uk
Built from
- Fulling trough