Water mill

Sited in a natural depression bordered to the E by a flat expanse of boggy ground, now under forestry. At the N edge of the depression is a natural spring, used as a holy well (MA093-014006-). Overlooked to S by a low hillock, and to NW by a hill on top of which is an ecclesiastical enclosure (MA093-014001-). A horizontal water mill was uncovered during drainage works in 1997 (SMR file). A millstone and eight individual timbers were exposed. One of the timber consisted of a beam (L 2.6m; Wth 0.19m; D 0.28m) with two rectangular mortice holes (L c. 0.2m; Wth c. 0.1m; D c. 0.11m) in one face. Some of the timbers were displaced by the ground works, but three planks remained in situ in the N−S drain. They lay parallel to each other on a NE−SW axis, with a gap of c. 0.25m between each plank. There were several large stones in the vicinity of the planks. According to local information, the timbers were reburied. The millstone consists of a roughly circular sandstone block (diam. 0.68m; T 0.28m) with a central circular perforation (0.012m). It is now located to W of its find location, adjacent to a pump house and a farm track. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 30 June 2022