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Summary

Venton Mill is a three-storied building which still contains most of its machinery together with the remains of an overshot wheel.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76SE/8

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATERMILL (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Building marked as Venton Barn.

Ordnance Survey, 1880s, Ordnance Survey (Cartographic). SDV848.

'Venton Barn' marked on 1880s 25" OS map.

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

Venton Mill (Disused) marked.

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

Frost, R. A., 1978, A Survey of Two Watermills in the parish of Dartington (Report - non-specific). SDV177583.

The earliest documentary reference to Venton Mill appears to be the Tithe Map and Apportionment of 1839. The building itself is considered to be 18th century in date and worked as a mill until the early 20th century. The water wheel drove two pairs of stones. A description of the machinery is given together with floor plans and section.

Frost, R. A. + E. G., 1978, Venton Mill (Worksheet). SDV177582.

Venton water corn mill. Original building of rough stone built into hill side next to a small stream below Venton Manor. There are three floors the lower of slate/mud, the upper two of wood. The leat originally came from a pond near the manor and along the hill contour behind the mill. The wheel is mounted at right angles to the stream and is an iron overshot wheel on an iron shaft. The tailrace drained from the wheel pit into a culvert under the leading yard. At the south end of the mill was a later addition in similar material which is now being converted into a house. It straddles the stream. The machinery inside is mostly intact and dates from c.1850. The pit wheel is iron and meshes with an iron wallower on a wooden shaft. Along the shaft there is a wooden belt wheel for driving a line shaft on the top floor for threshing, grindstones, etc. There are two spur wheels, one in very good condition, one badly worm eaten. There is also a chain drive for the sack hoist, both millstone shafts are iron and one has an iron nut wheel and clutch mechanism. Both sets of stones seem intact and of French Burr type. The line shaft and sack hoist on the upper floor are intact but both wooden floors are in danger of collapse. Part of the east wall has also been supported to stop bulging. Dated from stonework and windows as early 1700s. Other details: Sketch.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 8.38 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 85 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

The mill is described as 'Grist Mills, well supplied with water' in a sales advert of 1838. At that time it belonged to Venton Barton. The mill last worked in about 1938. It has an overshot waterwheel. There were two mills on the stream below Venton, one of which was destroyed circa 1971.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3261 - Unnamed Event

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