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Summary

Tracey Mill or Higher Griggs Mill is probably of 17th century date. The mill has been converted but the machinery is complete with a 10 foot diameter waterwheel which drove two pairs of stones through spur gearing. There is an unusual gear train between wheelshaft and wallower.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Leat and tailrace to/from Tracey Mill dating to the post-medieval period
• Listed Building (II) 1170309: TRACEY MILL (EAST SOUTH EAST OF TRACEY BRIDGE HOUSE)

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SE/39
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (I to XXI - 1 AD to 2009 AD)

Full description

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

'Grigg's Mills (Corn)' marked on 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.

Shorter, A. H., 1938 - 1939, Paper Mills in Devon (Article in Serial). SDV85082.

Shorter, A. H., 1947-1949, Paper Mills in Devon and Cornwall, 102 (Article in Serial). SDV85084.

Shorter, A. H., 1950, The Historical Geography of the Paper Making Industry in Devon, 1684-1950, 210 (Article in Serial). SDV122239.

Paper mill known to have been operating near Honiton between 1813 and 1836.

Shorter, A. H., 1950 - 1951, Paper Mills in Devon and Cornwall, 222 (Article in Serial). SDV97329.

Newspaper reference suggests that there was a mill within a mile of the town in 1774.

Department of Environment, 1972, Honiton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337401.

Tracey Mill (East south east of Tracey Bridge House). Probably 17th century with alterations and additions including two storey cottage adjoining south, and long workshop east. Wood and iron water wheel, north. Mill building with grinding machinery, one mill-stone displaced. Stone walls. Slate roof. Industrial archaeological interest. Other details: LBS 84926.

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

17th century building with stone walls and slate roof in present use as dwelling.

Phillips, M. C. + Wilson, R. E., 1974 - 1977, Water Mills in East Devon, 174-175 (Article in Serial). SDV42946.

A water-powered flour and grist mill, probably 17th century in origin or even earlier. Documentary evidence of its operation from 1780 to the mid 20th century. A 460m leat from a weir on the Otter provided water fo a high breastshot wheel, which is described in detail. The mill has all its machinery and could be restored to operation.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 121 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

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

The mill is complete.

Dixon, T. + Weddell, P. J., 1995, Archaeological and Historical Appraisal of the Town of Honiton, East Devon, 7 (Report - Assessment). SDV338066.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 22 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Other details: No 37.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 179 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

Documentary reference of 1882 to 'A flour and grist mill of two pairs of stones, dressing and smut machines'. Last used as a commerical water mill in the 1960s.

Watts, S., 2004, Weekend Mill Tour, Devon, 2-5 September 2004, 2 (Un-published). SDV323972.

Also known as Higher Griggs Mill. The present mill, which is now part of a trout farm, is probably of 17th century origin. The shrouds of the 10ft diameter waterwheel were cast by Bodley Brothers for the Honiton millwright, Walter Mickleburgh in 1891. The lower part of the internal gearing is most unusual with an iron spur gear on the inner end of the wheelshaft which turns a smaller gear mounted on a shaft above it. This higher shaft carries a bevel gear, in effect the pitwheel, which engages with the wallower on the upright shaft. Has two pairs of French stones.

Historic England, 2023, Tracey Mill, Tracey Road, Honiton, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV365829.

Notification that Historic England has received an application to amend the current listing description and have completed an initial assessment.
Tracey Mill dates to the 17th century and was formerly known as Higher Griggs Mill. The mill was coverted in the late 20th century but the milling machinery remains throughout. The waterwheel was restored in 1987.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1170309 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

Tracey Mill. Water-powered corn mill and attached miller’s house, originating in the C17 with later extensions and alterations.
It is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest: as a C17 water-powered corn mill which retains an unusually complete and operational suite of equipment and machinery, illustrating the historic configuration along with later refinements and developments; the mill building survives well, retaining a collection of structural features illustrating the industrial process, from the intake of grain to the upper floors, and its downward movement through the building for processing; as an ensemble with the miller’s house, where the polite C19 façade presents a public face to the more vernacular mill building to the rear; the miller’s house, likely to have originated at the same time as the mill, retains a good proportion of its historic fabric, and its general form and structure survive well.
Historic interest: documentation provides dates for the late-C19 refurbishment and replacement of mill machinery, providing firm dating evidence for various components.

Tracey Mill is understood to have originated in the C17. It stands on a long leat from the River Otter to the north, and the complex includes the mill and miller’s house, along with a reconstructed workshop range (excluded from the listing). An associated agricultural building was converted to domestic accommodation in the 1970s, and is in separate ownership. The building was formerly known as Higher Griggs Mill; a second Griggs mill, some 60m downstream, was lost in the second half of the C20.
The mill has two principal phases of construction, where the original building was extended to the east to provide additional storage. The extension is shown on the 1840s Tithe map.
The miller’s house was refronted in the C19. The main range of the building with its two-room plan with central stair hall survives.
The mill was converted to domestic use in the late C20. Milling equipment was retained throughout. The wheel was restored by John Coupe in 1987, as recorded on a plaque.
The stone-built range of workshops and garages, excluded from the listing, dates from the mid-1990s. This replaced an earlier timber-framed and weatherboarded range.
The mill and miller’s house are constructed from stone, rendered, and the wheelhouse is brick and weatherboarding. The eastern extension to the mill is stone and brick on the ground floor and timber framing and weatherboarding above.
The main range of the mill adjoins the north side of the miller’s house, adjacent to the old kitchen, with the extension to the eastern side. The mill is arranged over three storeys, with the loft forming the grain and bin floor and housing the sack hoist, beneath which are the stone floor (the first floor) and meal floor at ground level.
See listing description for full details of the mill and the miller's house.
Date first listed: 21st March 1972. Date of most recent amendment: 22nd February 2024

Historic England, 2024, Tracey Mill, Tracey Road, Honiton, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV365922.

Notification that the entry for Tracey Mill has been amended, firstly to provide a modern list entry to better describe the building and its special interest, and secondly to define the extent of the listing, excluding the modern workshop range.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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