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Summary

Tide mill depicted on Tithe Map at the southern end of the mill pond. It is documented in 1797 as adjoining a windmill. Windmill Field is located some 130 metres to the south-east.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS42NE/87

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TIDE MILL (Unknown date)

Full description

MINCHINTON, 1977, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV2528.

Tidemill shown on the 1809 os map. Site called windmill field. A tidemill was mentioned in 1797 as adjoining a windmill which was advertised (minchinton, 1977).

Turton, S. D. + Weddell, P. J., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV270.

Proposed sww pipeline follows the road around the 'mill pond' (turton + weddell, 1994).

NDAS, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV65628.

Vis=-/-/1989 (ndas) instow tide mill. The mill house stands and some timber from the mill probably remains in the structure. There is a millstone in the garden. The dam for the pond is now covered by the railway embankment. The 1841 census records the millwright as thomas mill (ndas).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65630.

Os 1809 map.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65631.

Minchinton, w. /windmills of devon/(1977)24-25.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65632.

Ndas/north devon watermills/(1989)55.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65633.

Turton, s. D. + weddell, p. J. /preliminary archaeological assessment taw-torridge tidal waters improvements/(1992)5/emafu report 92.32).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV65634.

Turton, s. D. + weddell, p. J. /archaeological assessment of sww taw-torridge tidal waters improvements part 3:cornborough stw/(1994)/(emafu report 94.12).

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

Tide mill depicted, at southen end of the mill pond. Windmill Field (414) is located some 130 metres to the south-east.

Hughes, B. D., 2011, The Tidal Mills of the Taw & Torridge Estuary, 34, 35 (Article in Serial). SDV352276.

1797 advertisement in Exeter Flying Post refers to a tide mill at Instow: '… a very good accustomed tide mill which may be almost constantly employed from a back water or reservoir; lately built for shelling of oats as well as for grinding corn; together with a large oven and baking room for bread and ship-biscuts both bneficially situated by water, half a mile from Appldedore, two miles from Bideford, four miles from Barnstaple. ... A windmill adjoining, which may be rebuilt at a moderate expense.'
Probably continued in operation until demolished circa 1854 to make way for the Bideford Extension Railway, the track for which was built over the mill pond dam and over the site of the tide mill and bake house.
Before the mill was built the area enclosed by the millpond had formed a tidal creek.
A late 18th century painting shows the mill in the foreground as seen from the river bank to the south. It shows a large door on the river side of the mill where ships or barges could be loaded or unloaded. As the direct road to Bideford and Barnstaple had not then been constructed much of the corn, flour etc. would have been transported by barge.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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