Monument record MLI30213 - Former Watermill Complex, Claypole
Summary
Former watermill complex, to the south-west of Claypole. Thought to be built upon the site of an earlier, possibly medieval, watermill.
Type and Period (5)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
'Claypole Watermill' is depicted in this location on the 2nd edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey map. It is labelled as a corn mill, and the depiction shows the main mill building to the north of a series of associated buildings. Water is carried to power the mill by means of a leat from the River Witham, with a corresponding tail race shown to return the water. There is also a large mill pond, depicted to the south-west of the main building. {1}
The mill was situated on the eastern bank of the River Witham. There documentary references to an earlier, possibly medieval, corn grinding watermill on the same site. This earlier structure had been replaced by the current mill complex by at least 1770, which was also listed as a corn mill. Production at the site seems to have shifted to the processing of flax by at least 1797, although this move appears to have been relatively short-lived, and production seems to have stopped soon after protective duty on flax production was reduced after 1832. Corn production is known to have been the main function of the mill by 1872, until the mill's closure 1947, after a practically severe frost caused extensive damage to the water wheel. The main mill building was of four storeys, being constructed of red brick and featuring a hipped roof of clay pantiles. By 1977, the water leat had been infilled, the wheel house had been demolished, and the remaining mill structures were being converted to housing. {2}
Sources/Archives (2)
- <1> SLI3566 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-06. 25 Inch County Series Map - Second Edition. 1:2500. SK 84 NW.
- <2> SLI7748 Article in Serial: Malcolm G. Knapp (ed.). 1979. 'Industrial Archaeology Notes, 1978' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.14, pp.53-5.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 8423 4796 (117m by 135m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CLAYPOLE, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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