Monument Type(s):

• WATERMILL (Medieval to Late 19th century - 1066 AD to 1899 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: A group of possible medieval watermill sites and leats within or just beyond the precinct of the 12th century Buildwas Abbey.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA4872 - 2002 Earthworks survey at Buildwas Abbey by RCHME

Description

At least two, possibly three, early mill sites and their associated leats are referred to in the 1997 revised Scheduling of Buildwas Abbey. These require further research <1>

Relevant parts of the Buildwas Abbey Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the ruined and buried remains of Buildwas Abbey and the earthwork and buried remains of an extensive water management system, including water meadows, leats, fishponds, mills, and a fish weir, as well as the remains of several charcoal burning hearths. ->

-> In the south east corner of the water meadow complex are the remains of a millpond, fed by a contour leat which survives as a clear channel running south west-north east for c.260m, emerging from the railway embankment at the south west corner of the field. At its eastern end the leat turns SSE and runs for c.30m through a brick-Iined conduit from which it enters the millpond immediately north of the embankment. The pond is roughly 12m north-south by 9m east-west, and up to 2m deep. Its stone lining survives as rubble and sections of wall, and the mill itself would have occupied the ground to the north. A rise in ground level to either side of a break in the leat, just west of the angle in the leat, indicates the site of a sluice, which will survive as a buried feature. This sluice would have controlled the water supply to the mill, and an overflow leat can be seen as a shallow channel running from it towards the river. The millpond drained south through a leat which runs partly through a brick-lined conduit under the railway embankment, from which it reappears c.15m west of the north-south stream. South of this it survives as a distinct channel roughly 1.5m wide, passing under the farm track then continuing along the line of a field boundary hedge, where its west side is marked by a steep scarp slope roughly 2m high. At its southern end is the site of another mill, which would have been operated by the fast-flowing water of the stream at the point where it is joined by a tributary from the south. The exact relationship of the leat and stream, and the remains of the mill itself, have been obscured by the development of the track and driveway to Mill Farm, but a broad by-pass leat survives to the east of the site, curving round the bend in the stream as it emerges from under the track. ->

-> South of the railway embankment to the east of the stream, the southern extent of the leat leading to the main fishpond complex within the monastic precinct can be traced as a shallow ditch which becomes more distinct further south where it winds through a dog-leg bend. It ends at the north east corner of a rectangular pond, which measures 52m north-south by 24m east-west, and is up to 1.4m deep. This pond appears to have been supplied from the south, and probably discharged through the leat to the north, running a mill which was sited at the bend. Masonry is visible on both sides of the channel at this point, and the foundations of an east-west wall to the east of the leat are probably the remains of the mill building. <2>

Field survey of earthworks carried out at Buildwas abbey and its environs in January and February 2002 in conjunction with the publication of a new guide book for the site. Three areas of earthworks were examined, labelled ‘the pond field’, ‘the west field’ and ‘the south field’. A range of features were identified. <3>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.