The Bridge Mills

Detached six-bay three-storey former flour mill with attic and basement, dated 1800, refurbished 1988, and having recent four-storey extensions to rere, latter partly incorporating earlier fabric. Projecting limestone parapets conceal roof, with rounded parapet to east gable, rendered chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Coursed rubble limestone walls with tooled squared limestone quoins. Bronze plaque to front elevation below former window sill with engraved inscription with date. North-west corner of building is chamfered to ground floor. Timber undershot waterwheel to basement. Square-headed window openings having dressed stone voussoirs and sills with replacement timber windows. East elevation has brick reveals to attic window, stone retaining arches to third floor windows, and stone lintels to attic and top floor windows. Round-headed opening to ground floor at rere, with recent timber window. Elliptical-arch former vehicular entrance to front having brick reveals, tooled limestone voussoirs and replacement double-leaf timber glazed doors with fanlight. Square-headed door openings to rear with replacement timber glazed doors and brick voussoirs. Depressed three-centred arch over mill race to rear with dressed limestone voussoirs and waterwheel. Fronts onto street, with mill races running under building.

This former mill is an important feature of the cityscape and an important component of its industrial heritage and stands testament to the long history of milling at this location and to the expansion of industry in the city during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.The retention of key features such as its original waterwheel, with the accompanying mill races running through the building, adds significantly to its heritage value. Within the stone façade are several well preserved dressed stone lintels and voussoirs, notably to the arch spanning the mill race. The inscribed stone unusually records the builder and the date of construction.