WATERMILLS OF THE RIVER BOURNE

 

 

Locations and names of mills.

Name                                                  OS Reference                        25” sheet No.             Tithe map No.            Status in 1980

Old mill                                               TQ 606 565                 41/1                             CTR 406B                        demolished

Basted mill (paper)                             TQ 607 561                 41/1                             CTR 406B                        modernised

Lower Basted mill (corn)                    TQ 605 555 appr         41/1 or /5                    CTR 406B                        demolished

Winfield mill                                       TQ 607 551                 41/5                             CTR 406B                        demolished

(Lound mill/Longmill (M Roots)         TQ 614 536                 41/9? (I’m uncertain about this mill)                                       

Roughway mill                                    TQ 615 528                 41/9                             CTR 406B                        modernised

Hamptons mill                                     TQ 617 521                 41/9 or /13?                CTR 334B/285B      ??

Oxenhoath mill                                    TQ 621 515                 41/13                           CTR 285B                        ??

Bourne mill                                         TQ 627 503                 51/1 or /2?                  CTR 163B                        Carr & Westley Ltd

Golden Green mill (Victoria mill)      TQ 636 484                 51/6                             CTR 163B                        complete

Pierce mill                                          TQ 648 486 appr         51/6 or /7?                  CTR 163B                        residential

Little mill                                            TQ 657 482                 51/7                             CTR 284B                        residential

 

Local mills on R Medway:

Branbridges mill                                 TQ 673 485                 51/7                             CTR 284B                        Arnolds Ltd

Teston mill (Tutsham oil mill)            TQ 709 531                                                                                         ruins

 

 

R Bourne water flows:

Flow as measured at Hadlow in cubic metres/sec (cumex).  19,000,000 gals/day = 1 cu m/sec.

 

            50% of time:               0.29 cumex (cu. m/sec)           6,000,000 g/day

            99.9% of time  :           >0.11 cumex (cu m/sec)          2,000,000 g/day

            1% of time                   >2.3 cumex (cu m/sec)            40,000,000 g/day

 

Leybourne stream (estimates) for comparison:

            Low flow        150,000 g/day

            Average           500,000 g/day

            Flood               considerably above 10,000,000 g/day

 

Data from Alan Ferrell, Southern Water Authority, Miller House, Maidstone (~1980)

 


 


Site visits (~1980) M J Fuller.

 

Old mill:  Rose Cottage red brick – hipped roof – well-proportioned windows – nestling at foot of steep wooden slope of valley – stream about 9’ wide, and sluggish.  The only indications that a watermill had stood here was the remains of a rusty sluice set across what had once been the head of the mill pond in a heavily-wooded steep valley.  The mill pond was dry, and greatly overgrown with willow, hazel, nettles and grasses that softened its outlines.  It was about 75yds long, and was triangular in shape, with gently tapering sides, and a maximum width of about 25’.  The waters of the infant river Bourne flowed through the bed of the pond, and below the fully-raised double gates of the sluice, which was set on a dressed stone plinth, between walls of the same material.  Gates suggested a head of about 6’.  Soldier’s Button and elderberry in profusion.  Old Man’s Beard hanging 40’ from some trees.  Private road to Butterworth’s Basted mill.  Quarries near by.  Basted Lane, off Quarry Hill Road.

 

Basted mill (paper):  All modern buildings.  Open areas.  Grassed areas.  River taken through modern concrete-lined channel.  Considerably full – 4 x 2’ drops and steps.  Water slopes down to first of them.  At least a 10’ drop possible.  Pond about 175 yds long and 20 – 75’ wide.  Heavily silted in upper reaches.  Whole area beautifully landscaped and maintained.  Impossible to discern old outline.  Head at this point about 20 – 25’ above ‘tail race’ lower downstream.  Impossible even to guess location of old mill from extant evidence.  25” map will show it.  Much waterweed near modern spillway – copious growth ascending from pond bottom - looked like conifers growing under water – probably suggesting nitrogen-rich pollution of the river.  Mallard, dab chick, moorhen on the pond.  Small bed of reeds, but maintenance, or something else, had kept pond clear of reeds, but not weeds.  Steel piling, concrete emplacements.  Road beside pond – also passes Old mill.

 

Lower Basted:  Lost mill site?  Bridle path 100yds downstream of the paper mill.  Several springs join the river hereabouts.  River only about 3’ wide where road crosses at junction of Mill Lane and Plough Hill.  Heavily overgrown banks.  Foliage almost meets over the water.  Dark, shadowed, slow stream.  Grey wagtails.  Semi-mature woodland and scrub.  No sign whatsoever even of the mill pond.  Celandines, Soldier’s Button  - cool under leaf canopy.  Silence broken only by bird song – not even splash of water to suggest a waterfall, and possible site of the old mill.  The only evidence for this mill ever having existed was the recording of it on the tithe map of 1840, although even this did not actually show a mill, but referred to it by name.  It is therefore possible that it had been demolished by even this rather early date.  Examination of the area in the vicinity of a bridle path that followed the river as it wound its way through a small wood revealed, not surprisingly, no trace of the mill, its site, or even a waterfall.

 

Winfield mill:  This mill fell into disuse many years ago, and was marked as being ‘in ruins’ on the 1957 issue of the 1:25,000 OS map.  When the site was examined in 1980 it was almost impossible to deduce anything from it, even with the prior knowledge that a mill had stood here.  The area was heavily overgrown with scrub, reinforced at ground level with a dense carpet of stinging nettles, thus making close inspection somewhat impractical and painful.  Large quantities of rag stone and dressed stone blocks were evident at a distance of some 50ft from the banks of the river, and these were both tumbled about, and in laid courses.  It could not be decided whether they formed some remains of the mill, or some other associated property.  Parts of the river bank near these stones were lined with dressed stone blocks, and a concrete and metal girder bridge crossed the river at this point, above a sloping spillway.  This had a fall of only 2 – 3ft, and was not curved as it would have been had it formed the breast of a breast-shot wheel.  There were some interesting carved stone blocks below the road bridge.  Some stone and brick foundations on far side of the path suggested a building some 60’ long, with its further edge approx. 50’ from the water.  Downstream of the spillway were two rebated, vertical, stone posts, set one into each bank, suggesting that they had been used to hold sluice boards.  There was no sign of the overflow channel, or any sluices, but, in view of the difficulties encountered in trying to define even the boundaries of the pond, they may have been hidden from view in the general ground cover.

 

Roughway paper mill:  Newly railed new ragstone bridge over the river, which was still stately and very clear, with a gravel/stone bed and some weed.  Path beside the bypass (?) which had a small metal guillotine sluice.  Cluster of old buildings.  Red brick, clay tiled, single storey house (?) with slate roof.  Tall red brick chimney.  Modern buildings for the  mill itself.

 

Hamptons:  Not visited.

 

Oxenhoath:  Visited 14/6/80. Part of building exists, but in parlous condition.  Used mainly for storage and animal shelter.  See drawings for best I could do by way of a ‘survey’ under the conditions and in the time available.  No milling remains whatsoever, apart from a cross head gudgeon..  Rectangular building in stone with brick quoins, corbelling, and string course.  Mortar courses finished with stone flakes.  Ground floor absolutely full of domestic clutter, and at least a dozen cats.  The ground floor contained a small elevated section.  The lower section was occupied mainly by chickens roosting and nesting.  The farmyard face of the building carried two planked doors – one level with the elevated section within.  There were two gaps for windows, but these were completely open, without glass or even frames.  On the garden face of the building, was a pond and sunken garden.  Ducks were on the pond; hissing geese were waddling around; more cats and dogs; and ponies.  Corrugated iron roof.  The end wall – where the wheel once stood – was completely open, and the lower 3’ of the side walls were ragged as if the end wall (of stone) had been only 3’ tall.  Rest of side wall ends were quite untouched, and all bricks were in place.  So, how had it been closed in?  Again, chicken and geese were nesting there, and a pony wandered around.  A long ladder reached to the existing floor – 15’ up, and probably originally the 2nd floor of the mill.  There was hay on this floor; cut holes in the flooring; and central trap doors.  The river now follows the bypass route.  Weir remains could be seen as stone remains on river bank.  Sluice site seen as heavy (12” square) vertical timbers (badly rotted) on downstream side.  Pond outline clearly visible, but full of grass, weeds, scrub.  Owner now holds barbeques in sluice area, and in dip of original waterway, under canopy of hawthorn.



 

 

 

Bourne:  - (1982 visit). Messrs Carr & Westley.  Approached by steep narrow unmade trackway between tall hedges.  Day of annual sale of surplus stock.  Trestles laden with shoes, skirts, coats, blouses, dresses, and remnant material – all at very low prices.  C & W make fine clothes in the converted mill.  Converted from grist mill to dressmaking in 1947?  Mr Gorringe lives in house on RHS of mill.  Mr Brinklow lives in old stable block converted to a cottage for him and his wife.  Wheel was removed (and scrapped) through fears of flooding should it have got blocked.  Also flooding fears for cottage whose windows were level with wheel axle.  Grooves on mill wall from wheel wear.  Remains of axle and bearing.  Also square shaft and pinions from pentrough gate control resting on timber spanning head race.  Pit wheel remains, but visible only through a 9” x 18” hole in one of the external walls.  No other cog pit gearing, but large wooden main shaft (24” dia) comes through ground floor and ends at a bearing on a ceiling beam.  No sign of stone positions., but 4 or 5 stones set outside as steps.  Shaft carries mortices for compass arm crown wheel (missing).  Water main course rushed down curved (or multi-stepped) breast.  U castings showed position of wheel gate.  Footbridge over headrace overlooked small triangular pond (15 x 30 yds).  Overflow sluice looked to carry modern sluice boards.  Building newly decorated, with scaffolding still up at rear.  Newly re-roofed.  Plans to strip out bin roof area, and utilise properly when work completed.  Racks of paper patterns on top floor.  Large benches for cutting-out on floor below.  Machine room on floor blow.  Front door seemed to lead up onto the stone floor but by only a few steps – not enough to cover height of cog pit – perhaps steps also went down from the same door to cog pit level (not checked).

 

Gold Hill/Golden Green mill: Called this by MJF; not yet sure of ‘official’ name of mill – referred to as Victoria mill by Michael Roots.  Set amongst arable and meadow land.  Large red brick building integral with houses and outbuildings.   Pitched roof with red clay tiles.  Long row of small square windows under eaves.  Tile-hung at end of pitched section.  Some vertical end timbering from eaves down to first-floor level.  Internal breast shot wheel.  Broad, deep, tail race with only a few weeds.  Rapidly narrows to form a channel, winding across meadowland.  Mill owned by a charming elderly married couple - Mr & Mrs E D Atkins.  She was 81 and he was 91 in 1980, and they met each other in Bangkok when he was a ‘teak wallah’.  They had been at the mill for 40 years.  Initial visit in 1980 - accidental.  Passing by, when sign by roadside seen with ‘To the mill’.  So went to the mill, via a path beside the tail race and pool, and through a little wooden gate beside the bypass sluice, and hence into the grounds..  Turned out it was not open at all, and the sign had been for the benefit of the local art club who had been sketching and painting at the mill, but the sign had got forgotten.  So we were trespassing, but Mrs Atkins (Helene) actually apologised to us for leaving the sign out!!  Mr & Mrs Atkins were an elderly and charming couple of great grace and charm.  Mill approached by gravelled drive flanked with a beech or privet hedge.  Drive opens out suddenly into a cobbled courtyard, with the mill and adjoining house on the right hand side, and an old coach house on the left hand side, and the head race immediately in front.  Broken cider press in the coach house.  All wood, including a huge wooden threaded screw – broken where the top plate joined the head plate. 

 

Notes to accompany the 2 survey/drawings etc:

 

First visit – June 1980:

Trout in tailrace motionless against stream flow through bypass channel.

Smell of roses from garden; swifts, martins and swallows hunting over the tail race pool.

Mrs A’s nephew had slid down the slope of the main bypass on the current of water, to arrive in the tail pool below the mill.

Ground floor used for domestic and garden storage.

House martins’ nesting on beams in roof of wheel house.

Red and grey brick in wheel house.

Sluice boards 44” wide.

Wheel 83” wide over the buckets – low breastshot.  168” overall diameter.  All iron, 2 bays, 36 buckets, L-shaped 10” x 10”.

7” square shaft, with 5” diam x 6” round journals.  8 cruciform double-tapered arms

Arms set cast in halves and bolted together.  Integral with square hubs, with metal (?) wedges (2 – 8 per face).

Starts set in cast mortices. Buckets bolted onto starts.  2 bolts per start = 6 per bucket.  Starts held by split pins above and below the shroud.

Shroud 4½” deep.  Starts 17” x 2” made from L-bar.  No sole plate.

Some debris in pit, but wheel clear of it.  Few buckets rusted.  Closed bearings with grease hole and mushroom cap.

Arched bulls-eye bricked in closely around shaft.

Single-seater WC in corner above bypass channel.  Sluice boards (for bypass sluice), each with two, bent, rod-iron, handles of various lengths, stored nearby.

 

Second visit – August 1982:

Pit wheel – overhung, cast-iron frame in halves bolted together, and wedged onto shaft (see drawing 2).  8 T-section, double tapered, arms.  Wooden cogs, nailed top and bottom, ca 120” diameter, 120 cogs, metal (?) wedges, shaft has castellated section at this point.  Waterwheel bearings on turned portions of shaft – either closed or covered bearings.  Pit and wheel bone dry.

Wallower – cast iron, wedged off vertical wooden shaft.  6-sided, webbed, cast iron, 35 teeth, ca 30”diameter.  Vertical shaft here 6-sided.  Wallower wedged (wood) off all 6 faces of main shaft - 2 big wedges were bolted through into the shaft.

Great spur wheel: cast iron frame, in halves, bolted together.  8 +section arms, tapered on one face only.  Wooden cogs nailed top and bottom.  92 cogs, ca 80” diameter.  6-sided hub frame packed off main shaft with wooden wedges.

Main shaft:  Wooden, circular, 50”circumf (17” diameter).  Dressed into 6 sides for gear location.  Wooden collar between bearing and wallower.  Cross head gudgeon with 3 iron bands at bottom end.  Journal 3” diameter at bridging box having 4 set screws, and bolted to a plinth which was bolted to a brick pier.  Date 1848 on plinth.

Stone nuts:  all missing, and nearly all timber beams had been replaced with steel RSJs.

1st floor:

Open trusswork supporting roof via the walls and line of central wooden posts.  2 stone nuts – one in store, and one in use off the crown wheel for a generator drive.  Gas lighting.  No milling furniture.  Charming blend of domestic lumber and milling remains.  Many old components for generating and storing electricity.  Broken, all-wood, half pulley.  Pieces of belt and fasteners.  No bin floor, no bins, pitched roof open at 1st floor.  No signs of hoist.  Remains of dead wisteria in the close-boarded  roof.  Red brick walls.  Almost continuous gallery of small 4-paned windows just at eaves level, around the three sides.  Wisteria planted by Mr Atkins when they bought the property in 1939.  Also a willow, near the sluices, but this interfered with water flow, and caused silting up, and was removed when the trunk was about 3” diameter. 

 



 

Little mill:  Fully converted, I suspect.  Wheel gone.  Building converted and maintained.  No visit made.

 

Branbridges:  Industrial site/premises – Arnolds (Branbridges) – light/medium engineering.  Visited the m 12th Feb. 1982.  Mill completely demolished by then; site had been flattened; no sign of a mill ever having been there.  Met Mr W G P Arnold, who provided the following information.  The Arnold family came to Branbridges in 1890 from Barley watermill at Frant, on the Kent/Sussex border.  Mr FT Smith & Son (farmers), Lamberhurst – OS ref 890292 (what is the connection with them tho?).  Water power at Branbridges was replaced with turbines, then gas engine, then oil engines.  In the photograph of the farmers’ outing, the ‘boater’ is a member of the Arnold family.  The barge is a steam-powered vessel – the ‘William Arnold’.  The outing was an annual event (probably hosted – with free food and drink – by the Arnolds), but had to be discontinued because too many men got drunk and fell overboard.  Flour production ceased in 1916/17.  There was a fire during this period, and sabotage was suspected.  Provender milling continued until about 1946, when the trade was sold to a company in Sussex.  The buildings were converted, but burnt down in the 1960s.  Light/medium engineering carried out on site now.  In the shadow of the dam head was a sunken barge, and a family of friendly mallard.  Passer-by might deduce something ‘milly’ from the warehouse towards the middle of the site.  This was used for storing grain and flour/meal.  The head of water was about 10’.  Gas for the engine was made on site at a small gas works.  The site is a mass of modern buildings, and thrives with activity on weekdays.  Operates as Arnold (Branbridges) Ltd.  I met Mr Arnold in Branbridge House, which used to be the miller’s house.  Site is set in a generally flat area, with  several waterways nearby.  Flooding is frequent, with much of the site not infrequently under water.  Set in confluence area of rivers Bourne, Medway, Teise, Beult.  The large old stable block still stood, and this was a reminder of the great importance of the part played by horses, and the facilities needed to care for them.  The mill used to be very large, physically, but barges could be run right up to the head race, and be offloaded via a lucam in the warehouse.

Mr Arnold lent me a photo of a farmers’ outing taken in front of the mill, and I took a copy and 35mm slide.  1890 25” OS sheet LI/7 marked mill as ‘Oil Mill’.

 

Miscellaneous snippets from East Kent Mills Group visit to R Bourne mills on 31st July 1982 – hosted/guided by Michael Roots.

 

Basted paper mill: modern works on site of mill burned down in 1917.  Steam mill worked here until 1960.  Only the mill pond remains of the old mill.

Winfield mill: only one piece of wall remains following demolition after WWII.  Mill had a 12ft diameter by 6ft wide overshot wheel that drove corn grinding machinery.

Lound mill/Longmill: no visible remains other than inlet leat.  Actual site of mill unknown but probable position could be conjectured.

Roughway paper mill: Water power replaced with, or augmented by, steam power.  Truncated chimney still stands.  Last worked in 1960.  Had 9ft diameter and 4ft wide breastshot wheel that drove bellows for the steam engine.  Machinery all removed.  Used as a store/warehouse.

Hampton’s paper mill: Demolished about 1890.  Only foundations remained.  Looked as if wheel had been overshot (based on good fall), but difficult to tell in view of shortage of remains, and difficulty in deciding where the wheel had actually stood.  Site now incorporated into domestic garden.

Oxenhoath mill: Only ‘first storey brick base remains’, the upper three wooden storeys having been demolished.

Bourne mill: Stopped work in 1948.  Now is a factory.  Large breastshot wheel gone, but its massive iron shaft remained.  Upright shaft and associated gearing believed to still be inside.

Victoria mill (Golden Green): Ancient timber framed building with later brick infillings.  Believed to be complete inside, but the breastshot wheel is said to be deteriorating.  Visits denied.

Little mill:  Little is left or known about this mill. 

Tutsham/Teston oil mill: This is on the Medway, opposite the locks just upstream from Teston bridge.  Good write-up about turbine pit, shafting, walling, dates – caught fire on 17th April 1885, theories about steam power, chimney flues, etc.

 

 

Plaxtol – A short history of a Kentish village – M Lewis, nd

 

Copy of the above given to mjf by Frank? Bangay; also a partial copy (¼) of an indenture, and some notes from parish records.  Booklet contains a photograph of Winfield mill (nd) in good condition.  Handwritten note on the photograph by Frank Bangay: ‘I have an indenture of 1779 selling mill, then a Tanning Mill, part copy attached.’  This part copy, which Mr Bangay gave me, makes no mention of anything to do with milling, so this is a bit odd.  He also wrote; ‘Odhams Press gave stone from Mill for erection of entrance gates to Boro’ Green Rec. Ground.  1956.  Pulled down by volunteers.  Much more derelict than this (ie as in photo – mjf) when we started demolition.’  The booklet contains no information of milling or papermaking interest.

 

 

Tithe maps/Awards:

 

Part of work included tracing each mill/site from the tithe awards, and extracting data re; field/named areas in vicinity of the mill from the award.  Done in KAO/Centre for Kentish Studies in Dec. 1982.  Spellings/cap/etc as per originals.

 

Old mill and Basted mill:  Wrotham? tithe map - CTR 406, Oct 1840, 13.3” : 1 mile

607      Five Acres                                                                  652      Coldheath field

608      Five Acres                                                                  653      Two acres

609      Five Acres Shaw                                                         654      Mill Lane field

610      Shaw adjoining River                                                 655      Mill Lane field Shaw

611      Mill Meadow & Old Road                                          656      Wents 5 acres

612      Parkfield Shaw                                                            657      Went field

613      Swans Land                                                                 658      Stangate Shaw

627      Park field                                                                    659      Stangate Shaw

628      Park field meadow                                                      660      Stangate Shaw Meadow

630      The Bottoms                                                                663      Bastead lane wood

631      The Bottoms                                                                664      Death &B Barkers field

632      Shaw                                                                           693      High Field

636      House paper Mills cottage Gardens etc  p44              694      High Field Shaw

637      First field                                                                    696      -

638      Further field                                                                697      Yew tree field

641      Pond wood                                                                  703      Long meadow

642      Mill meadow                                                               704      Short Bottoms

643      Banky piece                                                                 705      Greens Wood

645      Banky piece Shaw                                                       708      Piece before Plough

648      Went field                                                                   713      Long Ground & Oast house

649      Went field shaw                                                          716      The Moors

650      Went field shaw                                                          717      Old Garden

651      Bastead field                                                               722      Charts barn field, Broad field, Pond

 field, etc

647      Cottage garden & Old Mill

647 (Old mill)Jonⁿ Biggs leased from H A Wildes.

636 (Basted paper mill) H A Wildes owner/occupier of 636 – 646 inc.

 

Lower Basted mill: (between Basted and Winfield mills I reckon, but why do I think there had been a mill there at all?

611      Mill meadow & Old road (all meadow)         ]

628      Mill orchard                                                    ]  no mention of a mill as such at all.  Already closed

] down by 1840??

632      Shaw                                                               ]

            All leased by John Benge from H A Wildes.

 

Roughway mill:  Same map/award as above – Wrotham, CTR 406

 

220      Lay field                                                                      258      Great hop garden

222      Tinisland                                                                     260      (omitted)

223      Lower Plaxtol meed                                                    261      Adjoining Lower mead

225      Pook meadow                                                              262      Lower hop garden mead

226      Foot path field                                                             263      Larkings meadow

227      3 cornered field                                                           264      Cottage & garden

230      Field adjoining meadow                                             265      Morris’ mead

231      Cottage hop garden                                                      280      Hamstalls

232      Homestead                                                                  281      Little meadow

233      Plantation                                                                    282      Barrack meadow

234      Bridge meadow                                                           343      Mill Shaw

235      Meadow                                                                      344      Suttons

236      Johns Land                                                                  345      Sprat piece

245      Forge meadow & barn                                    346      Meadow before Barracks

247      Thisley field                                                                347      Mill shaw

248      Field by brook                                                             348      Aldershaw

249      Ash plantation                                                             349      Golding hop garden

250      Pond                                                                            350      9 acres & foot path field

251      Mill, Cottage, Meadow                                               353      Warp field

252      Upper mead                                                                 355      Allens Green orchard

253      Lower hop garden                                                       356      Long hop garden

255      Upper mead                                                                 357      8 acres

            ?? 251 Roughway mill: G Green from John Buttanshaw ??

 

Winfield mill: Wrotham tithe map, CTR 406.

 

112      7 acres                                                                         599      Mill outbuildings Garden

113      6 acres                                                                         600      Shaw above mill

496      Home Hop Garden                                                      601      Oasthouse bank

497      In Hop Garden                                                             602      North Clays

508      Rough little meadow & hopper house             603      Old Garden

509      Foot path field                                                             604      Garretts well

510      In path field                                                                 606      Golding meadow

511      Part of Shaw adjoining                                                608      Pt of 5 acres

517      Slip before house                                                        713      Long ground & Oast house

519      Plaxtol hop garden                                                      716      The Moors

520      Little Fibs(?)                                                               717      Old Garden

528      Lower Tibbs                                                               718      2½ acres

596      The Bogs                                                                     719      5 acres

597      The Bogs                                                                     720      4 acres

                                                (599 Winfield mill)

 

Hamptons mill: CTR 334 (Beautiful little map – good colours – well figured), 1847, Shipbourne.  Western half – see other entry for Hamptons below.

 

720      Puttenden field (pp9/10)                                             729      Mill meadow (pp29/30)

721      Puttenden field                                                730      Mill Bank

723      Great meadow                                                             732      Shaw

724      Part of Great meadow                                                 734      Lower Meadow

725      Stream                                                                         740      Broom field

726      House Paper Mills Yards &C                                     742      The Hopes

728      Mill Meadow                                                             

Mill; rented by William Mullet, from Maximilian Dudley Digges Dalison.

 

 

Oxenhoath mill: CTR 285, 1839, West Peckham.

 

197      Shalfords meadow                                                      227      Meadow

206      Clear Hedges Copse                                                   228      (road or waste)

218      Twelve acres                                                              229      Meadow

219      Mill stream & pond (p14)                                           230      Garden

220      Mill stream                                                                  231      House Mill & Barn

221      Island & stream                                                           232      Stream

223      Meadow                                                                      233      (road or waste)

224      Pasture                                                                        234      Taking

225      (road or waste)                                                           235      Ten acres

226      Mill stream

 

 

Hamptons mill: CTR 285, 1839, West Peckham. Is this different to Hamptons mill above?  Have I got one of the names wrong?  No!  Boundary right through middle of river, so mapped in 2 separate halves.  This is the Eastern half.  The one above is the Western half.

 

182      (no name)                                                                    197      Shalfords meadow

183      Shaw                                                                           235      Ten acres

185      Park                                                                             236      Shaw

186      Park                                                                             239      Cripps meadow

188      Plantation                                                                    240      (no name)

189      (road or waste)                                                          257      Park

190      Barn field                                                                   

191      (road or waste)                                                          

192      Paper mill (part of)     } p10                                                  

193      House & garden          }M.D.D.D. & Himself MDDD = Maxmilian Dudley Digges Dalison.

194      Mill meadow               }                                             

 

 

Pierce mill:  Hadlow tithe map, CTR 163, 1844, 13.3”/mile.

 

924      Pierce Mill Hop Garden (pp24/32)                            1058    House & Garden

932      Pierce Mill field                                                         1059    Arable

933      Strakes                                                                        1062    Wier Croft

934      Ten Acres                                                                    1063    Pierce Mill Meadow

935      The Groves                                                                 1064    Part of Trevets(??)

1057    Fatting pen Meadow                                                   

 

 

Golden Green/Goldhill mill:  Hadlow tithe map, CTR 163, 1844, 13.3”/mile.

 

866      Barn field                                                                                           

875      Shaw                                                                                                              

877      House Mill & Yard (George Verrells from Richard Porter)               886      Gold hill meadow

878      Fruit Plantation                                                                                    887      Lower Great field

879      Fruit Plantation                                                                                    888      Ash Plantation

880      Green Field                                                                                         937      Lower Meadow

881A   Great Meadow                                                                                                953            Forge field

881      Great Meadow                                                                                                954            Slip

883      Wood field                                                                                          955      Garden

884      Homestead                                                                                          958      Orchard

885      Five acres                                                                                           962      Batten Land

                                                                                                                        963      Green field

 

Bourne mill: Hadlow tithe map, CTR 163, 1844, 13.3”/mile.

 

156      The Hope Park                                                            404      Meadow

165      Shaw                                                                           405      Homestead

306      Three Acres and a half                                                408      House Garden, Mill and Homestead

307      Pond Meadow                                                             409      Orchard

308      Six Acres                                                                    410      Meadow         

309      Mill Hop Garden                                                         411      Shaw

311      Mill Meadow                                                              412      Shaw

312      Upper Mill Meadow                                                   413      Haugh field

313      Flaggy plat                                                                  414      Pasture

314      Little Shaw                                                                  415      Pasture

315      Great Meadow                                                                        418      Orchard

393      Barn Slip                                                                     419      Young Orchard

400      Gravel pit field                                                           421      Slip

401      Gravel pit field                                                           422      Nine Acres

402      Haugh field                                                                  491?    Dog Pits

 

 

Little mill: East Peckham tithe map, CTR 284, 1842.

 

?261    Little Church field  p31                                   575      Orchard  p31

517      Addlested field  p27                                       578      Mill Dam Roadway House & Premises  p31

522      Hither Clothe hedge field  p27                        583      Flanders field 

523      Further Clothe hedge field  p27                       585      Tanyard House & Premises  p31

529      Six acre Brook mead  p27                               586      Tanyard field

530      Fifteen acre Brook mead  p27                         587      House field

531      Daunt mead  p27                                             588      Orchard field

532      Loam pit mead  p12                                         592      Wilkins field

533      Old River Plantation  p12                               594      Old Hop Garden

537      Duck mead  p6                                    595      Footway & Little field  p25

542      Stroods Bourn field  p32                                 596      Mill Pond mead  p25

544      Plantation  p32                                                597      Six corner field  p25

545      Cook mead  p32                                              598      Longhams  p25

550      Further Tanner mead  p6                                 599      Penstock mead  p25

551      Hither Tanner mead  p6                                   614      House field  p10

552      Cats Tail Plantation  p11                                 615      Pickfish orchard  p10

564      Little mill ten acres  p33                                 620      Wear field  p10

566      Bunyard six acres  p33                                    621?    Pickfish barn field  p10

573      Long mead  p31                                                                                  

 

578 Mill: George Simmons – Owner;  Thomas Martin – Occupier.

585 Tanyard: George Simmons – Owner and Occupier.

 

 

Branbridges mill:  CTR 284, East Peckham tithe map, 1842.

 

538      Oaken field  p32                                                          807      House mead  p10

648      Uptail and Shaw  p24                                                  811      Great  slade  p8

649      Wear field  p24                                                           812      Plantation  p8

675      Sluice weir field  p11                                                 813      House Mills and Premises  p8

677      Sluice weir plantation  p11                                         814      Little slade mead  p8

678      Great William field  p11                                             818      Duckwood field  p6

680      Little William mead  p11                                            819      Duck wood shaw  p6

681      Braky field  p11                                                          822      Branbridge Wharf & Premises  p27

682      Mill field  p11                                                             832      Wharf Plantation  p5

684      Ozier beds  p11                                                           833      Wharf field  p5

685      Kitchen field  p11                                                       835      Water lane field  p11

687      Long croft shaw  p6                                                     847      Island field  p6

688      Rail mead  p6                                                              850      -

689      Great Comps  p6                                                         852      Branbridge Plantation  p9

693      Midge mead  p6                                                          853      Branbridge mead  p9

694      Fish Pond mead  p14                                                   854      Torbay Plantation  p27

799      Bridge Meadow  p28                                                  855      Broom field  p7

 

(813 Mill etc: Thomas Hugh Boorman – Owner.   Himself & others - Occupiers.)

 

 

Early deeds covering the construction of what I believe at the present time to be Hampton paper mill.

 

All in CKS Maidstone.  Examined in Jan 1976.  Contents paraphrased by me.

U235 T13  13th November 1699.

U522 E5/5  3rd June 1740.

U522 T13 1759 – 1844.

 

U235 T13 

Indenture 13th Nov 1699 between Sir Humphry Miller of Oxenhoath in W Peckham Bart of 1st part and Thomas Dallison of Hampton in W Peckham Esq and Charles Selby of Inner Temple of 2nd part, and Sir Henry Selby Serjt June ? Knight & Serjeant at Law Perrifull Bart of Lullingstone Esq, William Fames of Ightham, and William Dixon of Maidstone Councellar at Law of 3rd part

The said Miller for 5/- paid by Dallison/Selby hath demised, granted, bargained, and sold to Dallison and Selby – the Manors of Oxenhoath and Badlesmere Also Capital Messuage or Mansion of Oxenhoath House, dove house, brew house, etc, 6-2-20 (acres etc), Orchard, formerly hop ground 2-0-0, Park called Oxenhoath Park 133-0-0, 20 acres river meadow, wood/woodland and arable of 41-0-0, pasture 17-2-½, “and also two Meadowes between the Mills” 15-0-0, 5 parcels of arable 62-0-0, Blacklands 7-0-16, all now in tenure or occupation of Miller, Also New ffarme etc 66-2-19 in tenure of Miller, “And also one Corne Mille and twenty and seven Acres three Roods and twenty and eight perches of land arrable and pasture with the said Corne Mille used and enjoyed now in the tenure or occupation of Robert Webb” All in Wrotham, Hadlow, and W Peckham.  ...................  “And all that Messuage or tenement and one water mille called Windfield Mille and all the barnes stables edifices buildings gardens orchards lands arrable meadow pasture and wood thereunto belonging and therewith used letten occupied or enjoyed containing by estimation twenty acres and situate lyeing and being in Wrotham or Plaxtol aforesaid or one of them heretofore in the occupation of Thomas Farrett his assignee or assignees and now in the occupation of John Dutnall” ... To have and to hold to T Dallison and C Selby ... for 1 year ... And Sir Henry Perrifull, William Fames, William Dixon shall be ...

 

U522/E5/5

Articles of agreement between Thomas West of West Peckham, Carpenter, and William Buttanshaw of Wrotham, Papermaker, concerning Building the Paper Mill at West Peckham.  Date 3rd June 1740.

“ ... Thomas West ... will Erect Build and set up and do and perform all the work hereafter particularly mentioned in and belonging to a Drying Loft already Begun Scituate at or near Hamptons in the Parish of West Peckham aforesaid containing Twenty four foot wide and Seventy foot Long ... ”, To provide all material ... “Tyles Laths Nails Iron Sand and Lime and all other Materials whatsoever ... ”,  “ ... Erect Set up and finish the sd work at or before the Twenty Ninth day of September next ensuing ... ”,  Bottom of wall plate to top of Reason (?) 10′, 2 doorcases 7′ high, 3′ wide 7″ x 6″ square, 7 windows 3 lights to each, 3′ in glass by 1′ 4″ each light, 2 casements with saddle barrs & to be glazed, the jams 5″ x 4″, lintels 10″ x 4″ of oak, window boards Double Deals Slitt, wall plates 8″ x 7″, Girders 14″ x 10″, Joysts 6″ x 3″.  “The flower to be Laid with White Double Deals Slitt”, posts 10′ x 8″ x 8″ for the bottom of the fframes, the Reason plate 7″ x 6″, beams 8″ x 10″, principal rafters 5″ x 3″, top rafters 4″ x 3″, rafters and joists “to be thirteen Inches asunder”, roof entertises 7″ x 6″, Collar beams and shuts 6″ x 3″, middle punchings 6′ x 6′, entertises 6″ x 4″, “under the Entertises Quarter & feather Edge boards of Deal, from the Entertises upwards to the Reason plate to be done with Deal, for Shutters, outer part four Inches wide full three Quarters of an Inch thick, The Inner part four Inches square, five Inches Wide, Shutter three Quarters of an Inch thick, The Rails two Inches and an halfe by one Inch and an halfe Square”, laths for tiling to be worth 3/- per bundle, the roofs of flat tiles laid in mortar, 28 treble sides and 8 standards to each bay, treble sides 3¼″ x 2½″, standards 4″ x 4″, one pairs of stairs 3′ wide, lock to one door and iron bolt to other, all yellow deal for outside work and “Thomas West to buy of Thomas Dalyson Esquire what timber shall be convenient for the sd work and Building.”  £175.

 

U522 T13 (3 documents):  1759 – 1844. A newly erected paper mill at West Peckham.

 

27/11/1759 Lease for 21 years from 1/10/1759 @ £45pa.  Isabella Dalyson and Wm Dalyson to Mrs Eliz Buttonshaw.

Between ID of Hamptons (W Peckham) Widow, WD of Hamptons, eldest son of Thomas Dalyson late of Plaxtoll by him begotten on body of ID of 1st part, & Eliz B of W Peckham Widow of the other part.  Witnesseth that for yearly rent and conditions detailed and on behalf of EB to be observed Then ID and WD have demised sett and to farm letten unto EB  All that tenement with app being part of a Mess late of said Thos D as the same is now and for some time past has been parted and divided from the residue of the said mess, and also half of barn and stable belonging to said tenement, together with the new erected paper mill, dam, streams, yards, garden thereto belonging, And 4 pieces meadow and arable land thereto belonging, all being 5 acres.  All formerly in tenure of William Steddolph, since of Thos. Dalyson, late of Will. Buttenshaw and now of Eliz. Buttanshaw, except all timber and timberlike trees and trees likely to grow to timber, species, sampling, young standards and standards pollards and any which would grow, and fugress(?) egress and regress for ID and WD and friends , associates, servants, workmen, labourers or any of them with horses, carts and carriages to come go stay return into upon out of and from the premises, and to fell, hew, cut down, square, make up, rart (?), razzy and have away trees etc etc.  Examine for need of repairs And Also to grubb, pull up the hedge and fence growing and being between the mill pond and the river and to lay level and make open the ground between the pond and the river So as they shall within 3 months after grubbing up sett make and set up a good wall or fence in lieu.  Also the right to hawk, hunt fish but no wilful damage or hurt.   To have and to hold unto EB from 10.10.1759 for 21 years Yielding and paying (at or in Hamptons) £12pa and also £33 as an increase of rent or for the interest of £550 laid out by TD the father in creating or building the mill payable at 5th April and 10th Oct.  And also paying yearly (at Hamptons) over and above the yearly rents by even portions of £5 for every acre of meadow ploughed or dug up or sown with any manner of corn, grain, seed Also that  ED will within 1 year put the mess and mill and premises into good repair.  And in a workmanlike manner build a good convenient Soll fit and proper for the mill and make and raise the foundations thereof as high as the top of the ffatt (?) belonging to the mill with bricks or stone and make, set, provide and set up in the soll 4 good iron presses fit and proper for the use of the mill (EB having rough timber allowed her by ID for the work).  Keep all in good order and leave quietly after 21 years.  Also lay in the barn etc all corn grain hay as shall grow on the land except the hay from last year (which EB can carry off).  All grain and hay they will fodder out and spend in and upon the lands and not elsewhere.  And all dung muck and sulledge to be spread on land in most need.  Also allow EB enough and sufficient good and proper rough Oak & Elm at the mess or within 3 miles of it for repairing mess, mill and build the soll  all to be used within 1 year and to be felled and taken away at cost of EB.

 

15/10/1835 Surrender Release of mill & premises in W Peckam and Shipbourne.  John Buttanshaw and another, and Maximilian Dudley Digges Dalison.

John Buttanshaw, West Peckham - 1st part.    Henry Buttanshaw, Nicells, Wrotham - 2nd part.  M D D Dalison, Hamptons, W Peckham - 3rd part.

By lease 30/8/1809 between Frances Isabella Master, widow 1st part; and John Buttanshaw dec’d (father of above JB) 2nd part; and Henry Buttanshaw 3rd part, FIM demised to JB all that mess, barn, stable, together with paper mill, dams, streams etc, and 5 pieces of meadow belonging to mess being 5-2-31, formerly in occupation of  William Steddolph, since of Thos Dalison dec’d, afterwards William Buttonshaw dec’d, and then late Eliz Buttanshaw, and then late of John Buttonshaw (party thereto) except reserved to FIM heirs and ass all manner of timber and timberlike trees and trees likely to grow to timber species, samplings, young standards and standards pollards & any which would grow, also right to hawk, hunt, course, set fish and fowl.  To hold the same to JB for 21 years (since passed) at £80pa plus £10 per acre of meadow and pasture broken or disturbed without written consent of FIM.

& Whereas by articles of agreement 11/9/1818 between FIM and JM (dec’d) FIM agreed to grant to JB a good lease in law of mess, mill, land etc for 9 years from 25/3/1830 at £100pa.

& Whereas FIM by her Will & Test. of 8/6/1811gave these premises to MDDD by his then name of Maximilian Dudley Diggs Hammond for his natural life and power to lease for 21 years maximum.

& Whereas no lease has been granted & Whereas JB died 12/2/1827 and by Will and Test.of 26/4/1819 had not bequeathed the property, appointed JB and HB Legatees of his mill, and JB alone has since proved the will.

& Whereas JB with consent of MDDD and HB did lately agree with George How Green of Basted mill, Paper Maker, that GHG should be lessee of property under a lease to be made to him by MDDD for 21 years from 11/10/1833 at £100 pa on 5th Jan, April, July, and 11th Oct.  GHG to insure and keep insured from loss by fire in name of MDDD in value of £500 for mess barn and outbuildings, and £1000 for mill and buildings connected therewith and produce receipts on demand, and rebuild or restore fire damage.  JB was GHG surety for first 5½ years.

Now this indenture witnesseth that for 10/- paid to JB by MDDD, JB surrenders yields up remises and releases to MDDD.

On reverse of 2nd leaf:

This indenture 2/7/1841 between JB (now Nevill Park, Tunbridge Wells) of 1st part and MDDD of 2nd part witnesseth that for £950 paid by MDDD to JB, JB absolutely acquits, releases, and discharges MDDD.  JB for himself etc doth hereby remise, release, and for ever quit claim the said MDDD etc all actions, suits, cause of action.

 

Lease of a Paper Mill messuage and premises  MDDDalison to William Mullett:

This document was much cut about, and a lot was missing.  Date 1844 perhaps, but still to be checked.

Lease for 7 years at £350pa.  £68-6-0 paid for articles on the premises.  Hath demised and leased to WM Paper Mill and machinery and messuage, chaise house, stable, etc with reservation that landlord and heirs etc had sole right of fishing in the stream.

 

My summary of U522 T13:

 

1699    Sir Humphrey Miller sold the manors of Oxenhoath and Badlesmere to Thomas Dallison and Charles Selby.  This included a corn mill leased by Robert Webb, and Windfield mill leased formerly by Thomas Farrett, and now by John Dutnall.

1759    Dalisons leased the (which?) mill to Eliz Buttanshaw for 21 years at £12pa.  Salle to be built from timber on the estate.  Hedge to be grubbed and a wall built.  £33pa for interest on £550 spent by Thos Dalison (now dead) in building the mill.  £5 pa per acre sown with seed.  4 presses to be installed in the mill.  Formerly in occupation of :

                        William Steddolph

                        Thos. Dalison

                        Will. Buttanshaw

                        Eliz. Buttanshaw ( ====== John Buttanshaw)

                                                   

                                                (John Buttanshaw)

1809    Frances Masters leased mill to J Buttanshaw Jr for 21 years at £80 pa and £10 pa per acre sown with seed.  Frances Masters is widowed.

1811    Frances Master bequeathed mill to Max. D D Hammond for his natural life, with power to grant a maximum of 21 year leases.

1818    Articles of agreement between Frances Masters and John Masters (deceased).  Frances Masters granted mill etc to John Buttanshaw from 1830 at £100 pa for 9 years.

1827    J Buttanshaw (Sr ?) died 1827 and by his will of 1819 appointed JB (Jr ?) and Henry B as legatees – JB alone proved the will.

1833    J Buttanshaw (with consent of MDDD and HB) leased the  mill etc to George How Green of Basted mill, papermaker, for 21 years at £100 pa.  GHG to insure house etc for £500, and mill etc for £1000.

1835    MDDD paid John Buttanshaw 10/- and JB surrendered and released the property to MDDD.

            When did ownership pass from Dalyson to Masters?

            Why, in 1811, had MDD been a Hammond, although Dalyson existed before and after this time.

            Are there 2 mills here?

1841    MDDD paid John Buttanshaw £950 for the property.

1844?  MDDD leased paper mill, house, etc to William Mullett for 7 years at £350pa.

 

M J Fuller 20/1/06