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HER Number:MDV39475
Name:Higher Mills, Huxham

Summary

Site of a paper mill which was operating in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are documentary references from 1706 but it is not always clear if they are referring to Higher or Lower Mills.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 952 989
Map Sheet:SX99NE
Admin AreaDevon
Civil ParishHuxham
DistrictEast Devon
Ecclesiastical ParishHUXHAM

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99NE/70

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • PAPER MILL (Built, XVIII - 1701 AD (Between) to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

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

A large building astride the river is depicted together with several smaller buildings, marked as Higher Mills.

Curzon, F., 1851, Lays and Legends in the West (Monograph). SDV134915.

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

Complex of buildings marked as Huxham Paper Mills.

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

Buildings no longer extant.

Jenkins, R., 1928-1929, Paper Mills in Devon, 130 (Article in Serial). SDV23038.

Said to be the earliest mills in Devon, though the statement by Curzon suggesting they were the earliest in England is probably incorrect.

Shorter, A. H., 1938 - 1939, Paper Mills in Devon, 35 (Article in Serial). SDV85082.

Shorter, A. H., 1947-1949, Paper Mills in Devon and Cornwall, 101 (Article in Serial). SDV23037.

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

According to Shorter, there were two paper mills at Huxham, one known to be operating between 1774 and 1890 using a paper making machine, and one operating between 1770 and 1860 without a machine.

Shorter, A. H., 1950 - 1951, Paper Mills in Devon and Cornwall, 221-222 (Article in Serial). SDV97329.

An advertisement in The Post Man of 16th May 1706 refers to a new white paper mill for sale. Shorter reproduces a summary of the description which includes an inventory of the equipment in it.

Robinson, R., 1990, Paper Mills (Worksheet). SDV134907.

The Tithe Map of 1837 shows two paper mills, Higher and Lower. The earliest reference found is to a disastrous fire in 1774 but the article, in the Exeter Flying Post, does not specify which mill. A list of references to Huxham Mills in the Exeter Flying Post and in 19th century directories is given.
The site of Lower Mills was examined but not that of Higher Mills.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 6.29 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Bodman, M., 2016, Water Mills and other Water-powered Sites in Devon. Revised edition (Report - non-specific). SDV359634.

Documentary references to paper mills at Huxham from 1706 - 1885. Both the Upper and Lower Mills are shown on the Tithe Map of 1837 and are named in Whites Directory of 1850.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV122239Article in Serial: Shorter, A. H.. 1950. The Historical Geography of the Paper Making Industry in Devon, 1684-1950. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 82. A5 Hardback.
SDV134907Worksheet: Robinson, R.. 1990. Paper Mills. Worksheet.
SDV134915Monograph: Curzon, F.. 1851. Lays and Legends in the West. Lays and Legends in the West. Unknown.
SDV23037Article in Serial: Shorter, A. H.. 1947-1949. Paper Mills in Devon and Cornwall. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 23. Unknown. 101.
SDV23038Article in Serial: Jenkins, R.. 1928-1929. Paper Mills in Devon. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 15. 130.
SDV305931Report - non-specific: Bodman, M.. 1998. Water-Powered Sites in Devon. A4 Spiral Bound. 6.29.
SDV325644Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital. [Mapped feature: #145139 ]
SDV359634Report - non-specific: Bodman, M.. 2016. Water Mills and other Water-powered Sites in Devon. Revised edition. A4 Comb Bound.
SDV85082Article in Serial: Shorter, A. H.. 1938 - 1939. Paper Mills in Devon. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 20. Unknown. 35.
SDV97329Article in Serial: Shorter, A. H.. 1950 - 1951. Paper Mills in Devon and Cornwall. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 24. Unknown. 221-222.

Associated Monuments

MDV39474Related to: Lower Mills, Huxham (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded


Date Last Edited:Dec 12 2025 2:40PM