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Summary

A former, late 18th century watermill which was heightened and extended in the 19th century. It was advertised in 1907 as being partially equipped with roller plant, driven by water turbines. The building was converted into offices in the 1930s and to flats in the early 21st century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1308562: 1-8 STAVERTON MILL
• SHINE: Earthworks of former leat to Staverton Bridge Mill

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76SE/56
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 100643

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Mill building depicted. Comparison with the first edition Ordnance Survey map shows the mill to have been extended in the mid-later 19th century.

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

Staverton Bridge Corn Mill marked.

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

Building has been gutted

Department of Environment, 1985, Staverton, 48 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV155058.

water mill on river dart now in use as offices. Circa 1790, heightened one storey and extended circa 1880, converted into offices in 1930s. Stone rubble. Slate roof with gabled ends. Three storeys and attic. Original mill is the two window range at south west end, extended by five windows to north east in late c19. Small window openings with segmental stone arches and c20 casements with glazing bars. At centre of north east extension on south east side facing river dart, a doorway to each floor, now partly blocked to form windows which are slightly wider than the other windows. Four c20 flat roof dormers on south east side. Over the south west gable is a wrought iron weather vane. Four window, two storey wing at right angles at south west end, originally stables, but much altered.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 9.48 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 81 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

Described in an advertisement of 1907 as being partially equipped with roller plant and driven by turbine wheels.

Passmore, A., 2004, Mill at Staverton Bridge, 5005_32 (Ground Photograph). SDV357284.

Exeter Archaeology, 2005, An Archaeological Survey of Weirs in the River Dart Catchment. Draft Report, Appendix 1: Ex. Arch. No. 18 (Report - Survey). SDV356906.

Ex. Arch. No. 18. Watercourse: River Dart.
The present mill is believed to date from about 1790. However, there are documentary references to a weir or weir tenement from 1599 onwards.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

1-8 Staverton Mill. Formerly listed as Staverton Mill. Former water mill, now dwellings. Built alongside the River Dart c1790, heightened to one storey and extended by 1887, converted into offices in the 1930s, and into flats in the early C21.
MATERIALS: The former mill is built in stone rubble. It has a pitched slate roof with gabled ends.
PLAN: The tall, late-C19 three-storey mill with attic is rectangular in plan and the original mill is the two-window range at its south-west end. Attached to the northern end of the north-west elevation is a small single storey wing. The former late-C19 stable block is attached to the south-west end of the main building. The stable range is also rectangular in plan and stands at right angles to the mill building. EXTERIOR: The original mill is a two-window range, extended by five bays to the north-east in the late C19. The window openings, with segmental stone arches, contain C20 casement windows with glazing bars. The central bay of the late C19 extension, on the side facing the River Dart (south-east), has a doorway to each floor, now partly blocked to form windows which are slightly wider than the others. Over the south-west gable is a wrought iron weather vane. There are four C20 flat-roofed dormers to the south-east elevation. The former stable range, much altered, is two storeys high and its five window elevation faces the road.
INTERIOR: Not inspected. Photographic evidence (2010) indicates the survival of internal stone walls, ceiling beams and parts of the roof structure.
HISTORY: Staverton Mill was built c1790, as a water-driven corn mill situated on the north bank of the River Dart. By 1887 the mill had been further extended to the north-east, as indicated on the OS map published that year. The OS map published in 1905 labels the building as `Flour Mills'. In the 1930s the mill was converted to become the headquarters of Staverton Builders Ltd, a contracting firm established in 1929 by Leonard Elmhirst, owner of the nearby Dartington Hall Estate. Its first managing director was AE Malbon, former general manager to Welwyn Garden City, who served until 1957. Staverton Builders Ltd was the contractor on most buildings at the Dartington Estate, and grew to be one of the largest building contractors in the South West. It is best known for its involvement in introducing modernist architecture in the region.
Staverton Builders Ltd was sold by the Dartington Estate in 1976, and in the following decades Staverton Mill stood empty until its conversion into eight flats in the early C21.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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