See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The ruined buildings are of significant local historical and archaeological interest. First documented in c.1235, it is unusual in having been powered by two leats. The original use of the site was as a water powered corn mill but this was changed in the late 19th century to a sawmill when the water wheel was replaced by a Pelton Wheel, a form of turbine. Remains of both these phases are evident together with some interesting agricultural outbuldings, as well as the mill house itself which has an inscribed lintel dated 1817.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX73NE/30

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CORN MILL (First mentioned, XIII - 1235 AD to 1235 AD)
• SAW MILL (XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon Record Office, DD60519 (Unknown). SDV172683.

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

Buildings are first depicted here on the East Portlemouth Tithe Map of 1840.

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

Buildings are also depicted on the First Edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey maps where they are labelled as 'Slade's Corn Mill.'

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Buildings are also depicted on the Second Edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey maps where they are labelled as 'Slade's Corn Mill.'

Ordnance Survey, 1938, 136SE. Revision of 1905 with additions in 1938. Provisional Edition (Cartographic). SDV174491.

Mill marked on OS 6" (1905) map.

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

Slades Mill, a C19 gristmill.

Gaskins, D., 1991, Slade's Mill (Personal Comment). SDV172667.

The mill survives with quite a lot of machinery including a Pelton Wheel. The leat and launder are also visible. It appears to relate directly to a quay in Waterhead Creek. There are other derelict industrial buildings in the vicinity.

Chapman Warren, 1992, Reconstruction of Slades Mill, Goodshelter, East Portlemouth (Planning Application). SDV366838.

Submitted documents include a photo of the original Slades Mill. The building was used from around the turn of the century as a saw mill and living accommodtion. Its use as a saw mill discontinued in the 1920s or 30s.

Watts, M. A., 1992, Slades Mill (Correspondence). SDV172672.

The remains of the mill, with its adjoining cottage and outbuildings, are of considerable vernacular and technological interest and contain several features of significance. The name Yabsley and the date April 4 1817 has been cut into a lintel over the former entrance to the cottage, which could indicate the date of the building. The milling area is clearly visible, with the remains of some machinery and mill stones. The mill appears to have worked with two pairs of mill stones driven by predominantly wooden machinery.
The original overshot waterwheel has gone. It was superseded by a Pelton wheel in the earlier 20th century, of which the casing and feed pipe survive.

McCallum, D., 1992, Slades Mill (Plan - sketch). SDV172673.

The roof has completely gone, all timberwork collapsed and rotting. Walls also collapsing in places.

Pim, R., 1993, Water Power in the South Hams, 12 (Article in Serial). SDV141019.

Also known as Yabsley's Mill.

GOODSHELTER TRUST, 1995, Slades Corn Mill, Goodshelter, South Devon (Report - non-specific). SDV172670.

The buildings are overgrown, some in a dangerous condition. The mill building is of stone; 2 storeys with a chimney and possibly a hearth. There is a datestone over the door: April 4th 1817. The remains of a Pelton Wheel survive just above tide level between mill and machinery shed. Other buildings recorded on subsheets.

Child, P., 1997, Countryside Stewardship: The Goodshelter Trust, Slades Corn Mill, East Portlemouth (Correspondence). SDV366761.

The ruined buildings appear to be of significant local historical and archaeological interest. The original use of the site was as a water powered corn mill but this was changed in the late 19th century to a sawmill when the water wheel was replaced by a Pelton Wheel, a form of turbine. Remains of both these phases are evident together with some interesting agricultural outbuldings, as well as the mill house itself with an inscribed lintel of 1817.
It is deteriorating quite rapidly; one building photographed in 1995 has subsequently collapsed. An archaeological assessment of the site is recommended.

Child, P. C., 1997, Goodshelter, East Portlemouth (Ground Photograph). SDV172681.

Photos showing the remains of the mill and machinery.

Child, P., 1998, Countryside Stewardship: Slades Corn Mill, East Portlemouth (Correspondence). SDV366762.

The report by Exeter Archaeology sets out the interest of the site.

Exeter Archaeology, 1998, Slade's Mill, East Portlemouth. Documentary History and Building Interpretation (Report - non-specific). SDV172671.

The mill is unusual in having been powered by two leats. That to the west came from a small pond (now silted) at the junction of two streams. The other came from a stream forming the boundary with Chivelstone parish. This leat was in existence around 1235 and both terminated in the millpond. There is a record of circa 1235 of William de Praule's grant to John de Slade of a watercourse called 'Le Oldewaye' running to the Mill of Slade 'just as his predecessors occupied' (see DRO). This suggests that the mill was long established. It was granted to the Dartmouth Corporation in 1512. There is a reference in 1622 to 'Three Myles' (probably pairs of millstones) with nearby 'lime kill' (sic), 'Howse' and 'Kaye'. This suggests that the ground on which the wharf stood and on which Odds and Ends House was built, was reclaimed between 1609 and 1622. No other reference to the kiln has been found. Further documentary references of the C18 and C19 are cited. Corn milling continued into the C20. The 1905 map shows foundry buildings in the field to the west (in accord with recorded change of occupation of occupant from miller in 1906 to iron founder in 1910). As the leats fell out of use, water for the Pelton Wheel was derived from a spring above the site. A number of photos are preserved at Cookworthy Museum. See report for details of building.

Gilmore Hankey Kirke, 1998, Slade's Mill: Schedule of Works (Un-published). SDV366806.

Schedule of works with accompanying plans and sections.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 19.16 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Waterhouse, R. E., 2000, East Portlemouth Heritage Appraisal: An Archaeological History of the Parish, 22, 28 (Report - non-specific). SDV161003.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 165 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

William Yabsley Lamble was the corn miller in 1850 and Slades' grist mill was mentioned in 1866.

Pink, F., 2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Buildings are first depicted here on the East Portlemouth Tithe Map of 1840. A similar arrangement of buildings are also depicted on the First and Second Edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey maps where they are labelled as 'Slade's Corn Mill.'

Sources / Further Reading

SDV141019	Article in Serial: Pim, R.. 1993. Water Power in the South Hams. Kingsbridge History Society Recorder. 9. Unknown. 12.
SDV161003	Report - non-specific: Waterhouse, R. E.. 2000. East Portlemouth Heritage Appraisal: An Archaeological History of the Parish. Unknown. 22, 28.
SDV172667	Personal Comment: Gaskins, D.. 1991. Slade's Mill. Digital.
SDV172670	Report - non-specific: GOODSHELTER TRUST. 1995. Slades Corn Mill, Goodshelter, South Devon. Goodshelter Trust. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV172671	Report - non-specific: Exeter Archaeology. 1998. Slade's Mill, East Portlemouth. Documentary History and Building Interpretation. Exeter Archaeology Report. 98.31. A4 Stapled + Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV172672	Correspondence: Watts, M. A.. 1992. Slades Mill. Letter from SPAB to South Hams DC. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV172673	Plan - sketch: McCallum, D.. 1992. Slades Mill. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV172681	Ground Photograph: Child, P. C.. 1997. Goodshelter, East Portlemouth. Devon County Council Historic Buildings Photo. Photograph (Paper) + Digital.
SDV172683	Unknown: Devon Record Office. DD60519.
SDV174491	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1938. 136SE. Revision of 1905 with additions in 1938. Provisional Edition. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch Map. Map (Paper).
SDV305931	Report - non-specific: Bodman, M.. 1998. Water-Powered Sites in Devon. A4 Spiral Bound. 19.16.
SDV325576	Report - Interim: Bodman, M.. 2003. Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon. A4 Spiral Bound. 165.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #83005 ]
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. ACD618/4/3. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV366761	Correspondence: Child, P.. 1997. Countryside Stewardship: The Goodshelter Trust, Slades Corn Mill, East Portlemouth. Countryside Stewardship Advice Letter. Letter + Digital.
SDV366762	Correspondence: Child, P.. 1998. Countryside Stewardship: Slades Corn Mill, East Portlemouth. Countryside Stewardship Advice Letter. Letter + Digital.
SDV366806	Un-published: Gilmore Hankey Kirke. 1998. Slade's Mill: Schedule of Works. Digital.
SDV366838	Planning Application: Chapman Warren. 1992. Reconstruction of Slades Mill, Goodshelter, East Portlemouth. South Hams District Council. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV83967	Report - Survey: Devon County Council. 1974. Survey of Watermills in Devon: Gazetteer. Devon County Council Report. Unknown. A4 Bound.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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