Mr. Thompson’s Wire Mill, Tintern 1807

James Ward created this drawing of Mr. Thompson’s Wire Mill in Tintern. The water wheel is the dominant symbol here. A symbol of both industry and nature, it harnesses the power of water, a primal force, to drive mechanical processes. This motif of the water wheel echoes across time, appearing in medieval gristmills and even ancient Roman water-powered saws. Its repetitive motion embodies a rhythmic cycle. Think of the wheel as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of time and human endeavor, a concept deeply rooted in our collective consciousness. The turning of the wheel may also evoke the wheel of fortune, an archetypal image symbolizing the vicissitudes of fate. Throughout time the waterwheel has acquired a new layer of cultural and historical relevance, like industrial progress. It serves as a mirror reflecting our changing relationship with nature and technology.