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Summary

Corn mill, late 18th or early 19th century. The watermill is at the right-hand end with the waterwheel at the back, mid-19th century single storey addition at the left was probably a sawmill.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS72NE/39
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 397887

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Griffith, F. M., Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV344406.

The relationship of the jointed cruck to the rest of the building described here is completely unclear. It is likely two separate Wade Mills are being described.

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

Shown as 'Wade Corn Mill' with a 'Mill Leat' running north-east to south-west along the north-west side.

Department of Environment, 1964, South Molton Rural District, 43 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV320155.

Eighteenth century. Random rubble with later slate roof. Two storeys and attic. Lower extension in similar materials to left. Machinery includes cast iron overshot wheel, spur wheel, crown wheel and sack hoist shafting.

Alcock, N. W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue, 110 (Report - non-specific). SDV342504.

Wade Mill. Jointed cruck recorded (citing C. Hulland).

Department of Environment, 1988, Molland, 48 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337231.

Watermill. Probably early 19th century, with probably mid-19th century additions. Random stone rubble with some red-brick dressings to addition. Gable-ended Welsh slate roofs, monopitch over addition.
Plan: long rectangular plan. The watermill is at the right-hand end with the waterwheel at the back. The mid-19th century single storey addition at the left was probably a sawmill.
Exterior: probably early 19th century two-light small-paned wooden casement with slightly-segmental stone arched heads, two to first floor and one to ground floor at right.Two-leaf boarded door off-centre to right with wrought-iron strap hinges and segmental stone-arched heads. Blocked door off-centre to left (see differing masonry). Loft beam-ends visible above first-floor windows. Right-hand gable-end has first-floor boarded door to right with segmental stone-arched head and two-light attic window with segmental stone arched head, formerly loft doorway (see partly blocked opening).Two-light loft window in left-hand gable end too with stone-arched head. Former sawmill adjoining to left has three large windows to front with flat stone-arched heads and boarded double doors under segmental brick-arched head in left-hand return front. Rear of mill not inspected but retains external metal water wheel, referred to in the old list as overshot (Department of Environment, April 1977).
Interior: wooden cross-beamed ceilings and wooden stairs between floors.four-bay roof, with each truss consisting of principal rafters, collar, posts from tie-floor beam to ends of collar and post from collar to apex. Largely complete wood and iron machinery and other fittings. Millstones not noted at time of survey (July 1987).
Two-step spurwheel drive arrangement. Heavy wooden frame housing pitwheel and spurwheel on ground floor, formerly driving two pairs of stones on the first floor. Secondary drive take-off from second spurwheel on first floor with line shafting to first floor and also taken through ceiling to drive sack hoist in loft. Wooden hatches for sacks in floors. Grain bins to loft, with shutes to former stones on first floor.

North Devon Archaeological Society, 1989, North Devon Watermills, 51 (Monograph). SDV337776.

Site visit during 1974. Wade Mill, Molland. The overshot waterwheel is made of cast iron with wooden buckets. It is 13 feet in diameter by 5 feet 6 inches wide and the buckets have practically rotted away. The spur wheel, crown wheel and sack hoist shafting survive. Some other machinery including iron drive wheels, belting and some chutes has been sold. One millstone and the sack hoist are in situ. The buildings are constructed of stone with slate roofs, all in good condition.

University of the Third Age, 1995, Watermills in North Devon 1994, 107 (Monograph). SDV74915.

Site visited during1994. The wheel, as described in 1975 by Derrick Warren, is still in position. It is an overshot wheel 12 feet in diameter and 5 feet 2 inches wide with 8 inch side plates, oak buckets and sole, eight wooden arms and flange and a 5 inch round shaft. The machinery is also still there. Last used as a mill in 1959. The leat is now nearly dry.

Warren, D., 1998, John Brayley Machinist of Molland 1824-1891 (Pamphlet). SDV344407.

John Brayley, a machinist, moved to Wade Mill in 1861 and built a smithy and machine shop adjacent to the mill. The water wheel and mill machinery remain and the site was a timber merchant's yard in 1998. Other details: Photographs, plan.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 35 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Other details: Site 101.

North Devon District Council, 2003, North Devon Buildings at Risk Survey 2000-2003, 52 (Report - Survey). SDV344372.

Windows boarded up. Some holes in roof, poor verges - tarpaulin. Other details: Photograph.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 266 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

Wade Mill was mentioned in 1850 and was last used as a mill in 1959. The mill had been re-roofed in 2003.

Warren, D., 2004, John Brayley (Correspondence). SDV344408.

Other details: Photographs.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4599 - North Devon Buildings at Risk Survey 2000-2003

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