Water mill

Southern mills 1 and 4 are dated to Phase 3 and were fed by four mill-races of Phase 3 or earlier, from two watercourses. One watercourse ran S and E (L 119m) from a possible pond in low wet ground to the W of the ridge. Southern mills 2 and 3 date to Phase 3 or earlier but their undercrofts are removed. Two tailraces (2506, 2507) ran NW from Southern mill 4. The headrace (Wth 4.5m; D 0.3-0.48m) of Southern mill 1 with a metaled base approached SW-NE but narrowed (Wth 2.5m; D 0.15m) before encountering four post-holes that may have held a dam and supported the flume before the level dropped into the undercroft of the millhouse. Three of the four posts of the millhouse were in place forming a framework (dims 2.1m N-S; 2m E-W) with the remains of side-planking of the undercroft in place at N and S. A sample from one of the posts produced a C14 date of 660-782 cal. AD. Other timbers were in the undercroft beneath boulder clay from the collapsed sides. No part of the millwheel was present but the bolster that would have supported the end of the flume and the bridge-sole were. The tailrace (Wth 4m; D 0.9m) continued NE (L 36m plus) to the edge of the cutting, filled with marls and gravels. (Seaver 2009, 68-71) See the attached illustrations from Seaver (2009, vol. 2) _1 Phase 3 (fig. 23) _2 Plan of Southern mill 1 (fig. 72) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 20 December 2021