Kettle Brook Conservation Area

Since I have begun wandering around I am constantly surprised and amazed at how many hidden gems there are where you least expect them. Kettle Brook is one of those areas. When I decided to hike through here I had no idea of the awesome ruins I would find.

Above is a slide show of some of what I found. And here is some history of the property and what I believe I was looking at. The easiest access to the property is via Main Street, Worcester at the Worcester-Leicester line, 1511 Main St, to be exact. You will come to an old mill which has been converted into condos called Kettle Brook Lofts.

The original name of the mill was called the Ashworth and Jones mill. It housed several manufacturing concerns throughout its history and was quite large. I actually worked for a company that operated from this building and have been inside of the mill. I never knew how large it was.

In this clip from an old map, you can see the mill at the top left and beneath it, there are at least three other mills listed. I believe these are the foundations and dams I found in this area. The most impressive dam was the one by what is listed as the "New Mill" on the map. 

Here are two views of this dam. There are also some in the slide show. This dam is about 10 feet high and is rather interesting. I am not sure the "New Mill" was ever built.

The beginning of the dam

The dam just ends rather abruptly and unlike the other dams here, there are no foundations near it. There is what appears to be a sluiceway, or at least what I think is one, but the dam does not continue past it.

This is the sluiceway at the end of the dam

Looking down into the sluiceway

I haven't been able to find a lot of information on this complex. With everything closed, I have not received any answers from my inquiries. What I have learned is that Kettle Brook was quite the river of empire as the old saying goes. There are many mill sites along its banks and I will be looking at more in the future.

This little area is well worth the trip, even if you don't necessarily care about old ruins like I do. The brook itself runs through a little gorge and is rather scenic.

If you are looking for a quiet place to go for a walk in the woods, not too far from the center of the city, I would recommend Kettle Brook Conservation Area in Worcester, MA.

I will be posting a new video on my Facebook page of the next adventure I went on. Why not on YouTube you ask? There seems to be a little technical difficulty there I am trying to figure out.