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Summary

Stone Mill is understood to have last worked in about 1933. It looks to have been rebuilt in the last quarter of the 19th century and the machinery is consistent with that date. The mill is now converted but most of the machinery has been retained. The overshot wheel formerly drove three pairs of millstones and also a thresher.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS71SW/27

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (Built, XIX - 1875 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Marked as Stone Mill (Corn).

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

Stone Mill. ?gristmill. Overshot wheel, 11ft diameter, cast iron, wooden buckets. Much of machinery remains. Other details: Gazetteer. Visited c1973.

Child, P., 1996, Stone Mill, Chawleigh (Ground Photograph). SDV365731.

Photos of the exterior and interior of the building.

Watts, M., 1996, Stone Mill, Chawleigh, Devon (Correspondence). SDV50728.

Stone Mill is understood to have last worked in c1933. Its working parts survive basically intact and untouched. Now in use as a farm store and the first (millstone) floor is used for storing hay, so the millstones etc are not readily visible. The mill appears to have been completely rebuilt during the last quarter of the 19th century, perhaps the 1880s, as the overshot wheel is by Garnish & Lemon of Barnstaple. The cast iron machinery, which is in good condition, appears to be all of the same age and is nicely typical of the late 19th century. The waterwheel is spur-geared to three sets of millstones and a sack hoist, with a drive extending into the rear of the mill to power a thresher. This appears complete and is a particularly fine example. There are several other good features, including cast iron windows with the appearance of leaded lights, cottage type stairs between the floors and a well-made wooden millstone crane used to lift the runner stones off for dressing. Much of the timberwork, including the roof and the hurst that carries the millstones, is of oak and the whole is generally in remarkably good condition. The waterwheel is of iron construction with wooden buckets and sole boards and could be readily repaired, although its timbner parts and those of the launder will need to be renewed.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 36.122 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Bodman, M., 2016, Water Mills and other Water-powered Sites in Devon. Revised edition, 419 (Report - non-specific). SDV359634.

Corn mill with 12ft diameter overshot wheel. Last worked circa 1993. Now [1996] used as a haystore but the machinery survives basically intact. The mill appears to have been rebuilt in the last quarter of the 19th century and the machinery is typical of that time. The waterwheel, which is of iron with timber buckets, drives three sets of millstone through spur gearing. There is also a drive extending into the rear of the mill to drive a threshing machine. This is a particularly fine example. There is also a well-made millstone crane.
Site visit 2nd March 2004. The mill has now been converted but most of the machinery has been retained.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

Stone Mill marked.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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