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Summary

There was a mill here from at least 1698 to the mid 19th century. The name Willesley, however, is first recorded as Wilselegh in 1282 and it is possible that there was a mill here in the medieval period. It is described in 1818 as 'two sets of mills' which suggests two waterwheels each driving a set of machinery. The mill is shown on the Tithe Map of 1842 but by 1889 the area had greatly changed; the mill, house and other buildings had gone together with the leat and the small fields amalgamated into one.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Willesley Mill. Site of a medieval or post-medieval watermill, house and outbuildings with associated leat and trackway

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX48SW/66

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (Unknown date)

Full description

TA, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1487.

By 1889 this area had changed considerably; the house, mill and other buildings no longer existed and the small fields had been amalgamated into one. The current map shows the parallel streams to the s of the mill site, the easternmost of which continues to the n, as on the tm, although the diverted curving channel is no longer shown. The w stream however, runs into the e stream before it reaches the mill site and the w section, possibly a leat, which ran past the s side of the mill no longer exists. The farm of willesley, presumably to which the mill belonged, is some 700m sw of the mill site. In 1842 (ta) the duke of bedford owned willesley; he and daniel hodge owned willesley mill and daniel hodge occupied the mill. He earliest reference to the name willesley is 'wilselegh' in 1282 (gover et al 1969). It is possible that the mill site ws occupied in the medieval period.

POSSIBLE MILL?, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV274277.

It is not certain which of the buildings in the group was the mill. Two water channels are depicted on the tm running parallel with one another in a n direction towards the mill site; the w channel changing direction to run w past the s side of the house and possible mill. However, as the e stream continues n, there is a channel which diverts w from it, past a small building (possible mill?) before turning back on itself around the curving edge of a field to rejoin the stream.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV274280.

Exeter archaeology/objective 5b: lower tamar valley recreation and land management initiative cultural heritage appraisal northground farm, milton abbot/(-/3/1998)2,3/(ea report 98.18).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV274281.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1995/smr 40/96.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV79.

(exeter archaeology) willesley mill. In the rectangle of land which forms the nw corner of the site, there is a mill and other buildings shown on the tm (1840) at above ngr. The mill is not marked as such on the tm, however the buildings are listed in the apportionment as 'house mill and outhouses' and held with a number of fields by willesley mill. The tm shows a 't' shaped structure (dwelling) with a building adjacent to either side, and there are 3 other outbuildings to the e. The surveyors' drawing of 1806-7 has the name willesley mill in this area although the exact location is not clear.

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

The mill is shown on the Tithe Map at the eastern end of a leat which widens out to form a millpond. On the north side of the leat and trackway is the millhouse with attached outbuildings.

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

No buildings are shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map, nor the leat.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 218 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

There are leases for Willesley Mill dating from 1698-1729 and again for 1793. An advert in the Exeter Flying Post for 2nd April 1818 describes it as 'All those GRIST MILLS, called WILLESLEY MILLS…now in the occupation of Samuel Simmons…consisting of a dwelling house, two sets of Mills in full work, and with a constant supply of water, two Meadows, containing about three acres; and two Orchards, and a Garden'. John Daniel is listed as miller in White's Directory of 1850 and William Martin in Billings Directory of 1857.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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