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Summary

The remains of a brick tower mill, built on the site of an earlier mill. The first mention of a mill in the area dates from 1313. A miller is mentioned in the parish register for 1710, but the Enclosure Map and Award of 1774 does not show a mill, despite a reference to a Windmill Field. A miller is listed in Pigot and Co's Directory for 1823, and the extant mill is shown on Bryant's county map of 1826. The mill continued working until 1928. It was partially demolished in 1953.

Full Description

<1> Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 7 (Edward III) (Bibliographic reference). SBD11141.

I.P.M. Edmund Peverel 5 Ed III (1331) £14.14.0 yearly rent of free tenants, a windmill and 10s pleas etc held of John de Claveryngge.

<2> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: A80 and MA80, Enclosure Award and Map, 1774 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Enclosure Map and Award re west part of parish refer to a windmill field. A mill is not shown.

<3> Andrew Bryant, 1826, Bryant's Map of Bedfordshire (Map). SBD10613.

A windmill and a scatter of buildings shown south of road.

<4> Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Vol. 14, 1931, pp. 29-30 (Serial). SBD10681.

Refers to refs (1), (2) & (3). Detailed description of mill. Tower mill 55' in height to ball terminal. Outer crown platform. Last worked 1928; derelict since gale of Jan 1928. Previous to c1879 a six sailed single shutter mill then converted to 4 sails. Description of sails, machinery and stones. 5 floors. 4 pairs of stones. Steam power added to mil in later years of activity. Connected to stone barn some 20 yard away by wooden gangway at first floor height. Now owned by seward Trustees. Tenant miller George Gurney 1892, then John Gray until 1900, then Stephen Webb, present tenant.

<5> Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Survey of Ancient Buildings, Vol. 1, 1931 (Serial). SBD11624.

"Fig 20 Potton. Tower Mill with crown-platform. This mill formerly had six sails and worked four pairs of stones. Reproduced by kind permission of Mr S Webb. Taken 1926.
Fig 21. Potton. The mill after the storm of January 1928. There is a gangway on the upper floor from a granary. Taken 1931."

<6> Rob White, Comments (Observations and Comments). SBD11101.

Fig 20 in ref (5) shows mill with 4 sails taken from. Fig 21 shows mill with 4 whips but no shutters, taken from.

<7> Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 4, 1948, pp. 154-155 (Serial). SBD10543.

Potton mill. Brief description. Fan and patent sails with souble shutters. "Formerly it was remarkable for having had six sails instead of the normal four, the only example known in this county." Another unusual feature of Potton Mill is a raised gallery leading from an upper floor to a granary nearby. The mil was working until the sails got athward the wind in a gale in January 1928, which blew away the fan and stripped off the shutters.

<8> Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 16, 1951, p. 332 (Serial). SBD10543.

"…I can remember when Potton contained two flour mills. On the skyline towards Sandy may be seen the old windmill, 55 feet high, topped by its ball terminal. It was last worked in 1928." Illustration as ref (5) fig 20.

<9> Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol 9, No. 65, 1963, pp. 32-34 (Serial). SBD10543.

Very detailed description of mill. Not tallest but largest capacity windmill in Beds. Built at beginning of 19th century. Mention of mill of 1331. Description of conversion for steam working and of gale of 1928. Partially demolished in 1953, leaving the tower half its original height.
Two illustration "Potton windmill in 1948" [with surrounding buildings from ] and "The crownwheel and part of the brakewheel and brake of Potton windmil."

<10> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: MC1/0/12, OS manuscript survey (2"=1mile) (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

A windmill is shown in approximately the same position as the present Potton windmill but on the N side of the road. OS manuscript survey 2" - 1 mile.

<11> Ordnance Survey, 1834, O.S. 1", 1st Edition (Map). SBD10662.

Potton mill shown in present position on Ordnace Survey maps from….

<12> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: Transcribed Parish Registers 61, Potton (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Burial of Mary, daughter of Miles Nicholls, a miller recorded in parish register. May 12, 1910.

<13> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: LS176-178, Mortgage & Abstract of Title, 1833 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Mortgage: i. John Smith of Potton Miller
ii. Joel Ingle
includes 1 acre with corn windmill and roundhouse, barn and other buildings, running and going gears, sail, stone cloths, rigging wheels, wire-machines, dressing machines. Formerly part of 2 lots in Windmill Field, Potton, formerly occupied by Jas Ingle, In Ingle dec. and the said John Smith. 1833.
Abstract of Title. Sold before an auction to John Smith by Jael Ingle for £510. 1833.

<14> Pigot and Co's Directory, 1823, p. 120 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10614.

John Smith, Miller, Potton Mill

<15> Pigot and Co's Directory, 1830, p. 23 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10614.

John Smith, corn miller, Potton mill

<16> Pigot and Co's Directory, 1839 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10614.

John Smith, corn dealer and miller, Everton Road

<17> Slater's Directory, 1850, p. 30 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10615.

Lucy Smith, Potton mill

<18> Post Office Directory, 1851 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10597.

No mill entry.

<19> Craven & Co's Directory, 1853, 1854, p. 143 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10692.

Charles Smith, cornmiller and farmer, Horselow Street

<20> Kelly & Co Ltd, Kelly's Directory, 1869 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10539.

"Here are corn mills". Charles Smith, miller, Everton End.

<21> Harrods Directory of Beds, Bucks, Berks & Oxon, 1876 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10622.

John Gray, Miller

<22> Kelly & Co Ltd, Kelly's Directory, 1877, pp. 82-83 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10539.

"Here are corn mills". Charles Smith, miller, Everton End.

<23> Kelly & Co Ltd, Kelly's Directory, 1890, p. 110 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10539.

Sarah Kitchener (Mrs) miller (wind)

<24> Kelly & Co Ltd, Kelly's Directory, 1894, p. 123 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10539.

"Corn mills and a brewery also exist" T B Kitchener and Co steam plough works,… millers and coal merchants.

<25> Kelly & Co Ltd, Kelly's Directory, 1899, pp. 126, 127 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10539.

As ref (24) plus John Gray, miller (wind).

<26> Rob White, Comments (Observations and Comments). SBD11101.

A William Masters, corn merchant and miller, is also listed in ref (19) with Jesse Masters; in the Market Place in ref (20), as a steam miller in refs (21) & (22). James Adcock steam miller is noted in the 1885 Kelly Directory. Joseph King, steam miller and corn and flour merchant, Market Place [various wordings] in refs (23), (24) and (25).

<27> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: CRT130 Pot 15, Letter, 18/9/1976 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Letter to County Record Office from Mr Webb. HI sfather was the last to work the mill. The fan was damaged in a storm and the sails were taken off later; the mill continued to work by engine. In c1932 his father left to take over Gamlingay Mill. Ref to letter and illustration in Biggleswade Chronicle.

<28> National Monuments Record, NMR Photographs, AA78/588 (Photograph). SBD10708.

photo from the H. E. S. Simmons Collection, No. W13, August 1933

<29> English Heritage, National Monuments Record Building Files, BF001871 (Unpublished document). SBD10795.

Details of information held by the NMR

<30> National Monuments Record, NMR Photographs (Photograph). SBD10708.

Two by J Kenneth Major, 1969

<31> Bedfordshire County Council, BCC Photographic Unit, PU320/1980, copy of original photo by Harry Meyer taken 07/11/1926. (Photograph). SBD10507.

Annotated "Potton Tower Mill in 1926".

<32> A A Bryan, 1998, Windmill gazetteer for England (Bibliographic reference). SBD12556.

[no further details]

<33> NMR/AMIE, HE NRHE Monument Inventory, 497407 (Index). SBD12367.

A tower mill built for the processing of cereals. It was built in 1840, but there is no record of the building until it is dismantled in 1951, and finally collapsed 1959. Now survives as a truncated ruined tower.

<34> Bedfordshire County Council, 1970 - 2000s, HER Photograph Archive, F588/8a-10a (Photograph). SBD10506.

Three colour images of mill structure

Protected Status: None recorded

Monument Type(s):

• WINDMILL (19th Century - 1800 AD to 1899 AD)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Sources and Further Reading

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