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Summary

Site of Grade II listed barn and mill block on the River Pang, damaged by fire

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1289428: RIVER BARN AT SU 5548 7104 - ERROR IN NAME

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 05098.00.000
  

Monument Type(s):

• WATERMILL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• TITHE BARN? (17th century to Late 19th century - 1601 AD? to 1900 AD)

Full Description

The Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group was involved in a project in 2007 to restore the mill base, superstructure and machinery at a site called 'Black Barn Mill'. Although this name is not marked on any maps, it seems that the derelict mill involved is Major's site No 63 <1>, described as a small farm mill attached to a tithe barn. It lies to the east of Bucklebury village, visible on the 2003 aerial photograph <2> at c SU 5546 7103. The First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping <3> shows a small structure over the stream, attached to a long rectangular barn, but no name is attached to this building.

The barn was destroyed by fire on 26th October 1996 (a planning application No 153636 to reinstate the fire-damaged barn was submitted in 1998). The barn and mill were designated as a listed building in 1983 <5> although erroneously described as 'River Barn', which is the name of another water powered site to the west of Bucklebury (MWB6234). The listed building description dates the mill block as 19th century, attached to a 17th century and later timber framed barn.

Members of a Reading University Industrial Archaeology class recorded the barn and mill in 1985 <6>, producing detailed drawings and photographs which were deposited at the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading <7>. The group went on to form the Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group <6>. The mill apparently ground corn for animal feedstuff. It appears that Hedges Foundry in Bucklebury (MWB4122) made the waterwheels for mills at Woolhampton, Marlston and Bucklebury Manor Farm <8>.

Photographs and drawings of the barn before it burned down in the 1990s and drawings and notes relating to its proposed reconstruction which never took place, were passed to the Mills Archive by Dennis Johnson in 2016 <12>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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