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Summary

Town Mills was built in the mid 19th century by the Rolle Canal Company to replace the old Manor Mills at Taddiport. It continued in use until 1925. Now converted to holiday accommodation.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1104784: TOWN MILLS

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS51NW/21
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (Built, XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Unattributed, Untitled Source (Unknown). SDV338535.

New Town Mills, Castle Hill. Built by the Rolle Canal Company to replace the old Manor Mills at Taddiport, demolished for the canal. Circa 1873-77.

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

'Town Corn Mills' shown on 19th century map as a group of buildings on the east side of the River Torridge to the south of 'New Bridge'.

Hadfield, C., 1967, Canals of South West England, 137 (Monograph). SDV58.

Hughes, B. D., 1970, Aids to Recording (6). The Rolle Canal, 80 (Article in Serial). SDV19175.

New Town Mills were built by Lord Rolle to replace the old manor mills at Taddiport which were demolished to make way for a canal basin. The mill, malthouse and mil house are now a farm. The mill worked until 1925 but is now used as a stored. A waterwheel survives. The canal basin is still visible at the site of the mill, entered by a tunnel which ran under the road.

Department of Environment, 1973, Great Torrington, 2 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV2214.

Built by Lord Rolle in mid 19th century. Main building is of stone with corner towers, castellated parapets and chimney in form of octagonal turrets. Exterior decorative panels with pointed heads or of cruciform shape. Now a farm. First listed in 1951.

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

Visited circa 1973. Corn mill in present use as storehouse and chicken pen. Building of two storeys with slate roof. In good condition. Undershot wheel 15 feet by 3 feet. ?iron with wooden buckets. Some machinery remains.

Timms, S. C., 1982, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV338532.

Visited 4/6/1982. Town Mill is being developed as holiday accomodation and there are proposals to convert outbuildings including the mill house, which retains some machinery and original layout of grand storage bins. Waterwheel, which has been restored to working order bears the name of Garnish and Lemon, Barnstaple. Served by leat.

Timms, S. C., 1982, Untitled Source, 9-12 (Ground Photograph). SDV338533.

Other details: Film 539.

Hunt, P. J., 1989, Torrington, 11 (Report - non-specific). SDV352248.

Now in use as a hotel.

University of the Third Age, 1995, Watermills in North Devon 1994, 104 (Monograph). SDV74915.

Originally there were two mills, one of which was used as a sawmill up to WWII. One large overshot wheel survives. It has been restored and is in good condition, as are its sluice gates. It is doubtful if any machinery exists. The leat is still working. The ancient manor corn mill was removed from a site at the bottom of Mill Street to a mile further up the Torridge, where the largest corn mill in the neighbourhood was built with extensive malthouse and farm buildings attached. It was built 1822-3 for the Stevenstone Estate.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 43.27 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 307 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

Manor Mill or Town Mills at Torrington. The construction of the Rolle Canal meant that the ancient corn mill was removed from the bottom of Mill Street in Great Torrington to a mile further up the River Torridge. The New Town Mills in Castle Hill were built by the Rolle Canal Company. Lord Rolle employed James Green to build the new grist mill and to erect the machinery. The mill was built in castellated form with battlemented gables and parapet walls surrounding an inner yard.

Bristol and Region Archaeological Services, 2006, Archaeological Desk-based Assessment of Land at Rolle Road Industrial Estate, Great Torrington, 5 (Report - Assessment). SDV339538.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4315 - Archaeological Assessment of Land at Rolle Road Industrial Estate

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