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Summary

Bellamarsh Mill is recorded in 1731 and was the scene of bread riots in the 19th century. It comprised a stone building under a slate roof and had two waterwheels, one of which was latterly replaced by a turbine, driving four pairs of stones. It was still working in 1952 but was demolished in 1973 during construction of the Chudleigh bypass. The machinery was removed to Ugbrooke Park from where it was purchased by the Totnes Town Mill Trust in the 1990s for installation in the mill there.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87NE/52

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (XVII to Late 20th Century - 1601 AD (Between) to 1973 AD)

Full description

Unknown, 1731, Dro=53/6 box 15 (Record Office Collection). SDV301652.

Documentary reference to Bellamarsh Mills in 1731.

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Recorded as mill, yard and pond (plot 11) on the Kingsteighton Tithe Apportionment.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Triangular complet of buildings depicted with a large millpond adjoining.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Bellamarsh Mills (Corn) marked, comprising a triangular complex of buildings. The millpond and a well are also marked.

Department of Environment, 1952, Newton Abbot RD, 72 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV304573.

Roughcast building of three storeys with slate roof. Listed grade II. Still working (circa 1952), formerly two wheels, but one now replaced by a turbine with separate water channels.

Devon County Council, 1974, Survey of Watermills in Devon: Gazetteer (Report - Survey). SDV83967.

Used for cider manufacture, sawing and threshing. One set of stones and wheel have been taken to Ugbrooke Park to be rebuilt.

Major, J. K., 1975, Fieldwork in Industrial Archaeology, 130, 131, Fig. 36 (Monograph). SDV46444.

The mill was recorded prior to the gearing being taken out for installation in another mill near Chudleigh.

Miles, H., 1977, The A38 Roadworks 1970-1973, 48 (Article in Serial). SDV299703.

The building was demolished during construction of the Chudleigh Bypass in 1973. A record of the buildings and mill machiery was made and deposited in Exeter City Museum.

Mitchell, M., 1979, Ball Clay Survey of South Devon, No. 16 (Archive - Survey). SDV341500.

Scene of bread riots in the 19th century. A listed building.

Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 1982, Mills Index (Un-published). SDV12998.

Site visit circa 1965. Mill still working.

Pye, A., 1992, Environmental statement on the proposed extension of the Heathfield landfill site, Kingsteignton. Appendix 4: archaeological assessment, 13 (Report - Assessment). SDV312426.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 38.8 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Reed, S. J. + Turton, S. D., 2001, Archaeological Assessment of Bovey Basin Mineral Site. Part 1 Overview, 8 (Report - Assessment). SDV336226.

Watts, S., 2002, Machinery from Bellamarsh Mill (Personal Comment). SDV301656.

The machinery was removed to Ugbrooke Park. It was purchased by the Totnes Town Mill Trust in the 1990s for installation in the mill there.

Bodman, M., 2016, Water Mills and other Water-powered Sites in Devon. Revised edition, 436-7 (Report - non-specific). SDV359634.

Bellamarsh Mills is referred to in the bankruptcy case of Thomas Cave in 1794. It is describd in a letting notice of 1815 as comprising 'two neat and comfortable cottages and two gardens and all those capital and well accustomed grist and flour mills' with 'four pair of stones, two water wheels, a cleaning and bunting machine, a threshing and winnowing machine...'
A subsequent sales advert of 1848 decribes it as comprising 'a dwelling house, water grist and manganese mills, mill leat, cottage, stables, with waggon and cart huses, orchard and pasture.'
It is listed for sale again in 1865 as 'a dwelling house, mills, cottages, stable, courtlage, watong house and piggeries and the land thereto belonging…'. A further sale notice of 1882 shows the mill to still have four pairs of stones and also a cider press and threshing machine.

Searell, W., 2020, Bellamarsh Mill (Correspondence). SDV363548.

Mr Searell's great, great grandfather, Thomas Searell, who was born in Staverton in 1811, took over Bellamarsh Mill in 1850. He was married to Harriet Trist and they had seven children. They emigrated to New Zealand in 1865 where they took over Carlton or Avon Mill in Christchurch.
A watercolour painting of Bellamarsh Mill by W. Williams, Plymouth, 1849 in possession of the family shows a large, lofted building with the millpond and two low-breast waterwheels.
[Thomas Searell's emigration to New Zealand coincides with a sale notice of the mill of 1865.]

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4912 - Archaeological Assessment of Bovey Basin Mineral Site

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