Wateringbury Stream. Medway watermills (lower tributaries)

1 wateringbury stream.

1.1 swanton, mereworth
1.2 mereworth mill.
1.3 mill @ wateringbury
1.4 brattle (upper) mill, wateringbury
1.5 warden mill, wateringbury.

wateringbury stream.

the wateringbury stream enters medway left @ wateringbury. site close source of wateringbury stream shows characteristic signs of previous use of waterpower.

swanton, mereworth

swanton valley pond

tq 646 539 51°15′37″n 0°21′36″e / 51.260388°n 0.360059°e / 51.260388; 0.360059

a large pond high in swanton valley may indicate site of old furnace mill. head available being sufficient power large overshot waterwheel.

mereworth mill.

tq 673 535 51°15′22″n 0°23′55″e / 51.256008°n 0.398537°e / 51.256008; 0.398537

the domesday book records 2 mills, value 10/-, @ marovrde (mereworth). site of last mill lies in grounds of mereworth castle. in 1460, mill held thomas hunte. in 1521 fulling mill, belonging sir thomas nevyle. in 1772 james pound occupant, followed widow in march 1780 , john pound in september 1780. @ mill until october 1791. thomas edmead @ mill 1792-1827. mill purchased viscount falmouth c.1856. mill demolished 1907 , site today marked waterfall @ eastern end of lakes in grounds of mereworth castle. head have been 8 feet (2.44 m) or 10 feet (3.05 m), suggesting high breast shot or overshot waterwheel.

mill @ wateringbury

the domesday book records 3 mills @ otringeberge (wateringbury). 2 mills held ralf, son of turald , valued @ 3/-, third held hugh de braibourne , worth 16d. mill marked on c & g greenwood s map of kent, 1822. not mentioned in survey of parish carried out in 1828.

brattle (upper) mill, wateringbury

tq 686 534 51°15′17″n 0°25′02″e / 51.254726°n 0.417104°e / 51.254726; 0.417104

brattle mill c.1910

brattle mill corn mill. named after miller, robert brattle. first mentioned in 1783 , owned robert brattle. in 1838 mill owned harry blaker , occupied william mills. harry blaker died c.1848 , mill run short time widow, sarah. james fremlin took on lease of mill 1851, running warden mill. purchased mill sarah blaker c.1868. miller @ time being alfred bloorman. original overshot waterwheel of wood. replaced turbine c.1910 , time mill last used milling, being used generate electricity. brattle mill known upper mill. 15 feet 6 inches (4.72 m) diameter 6 feet (1.83 m) wide cast iron overshot waterwheel lower mill, polegate, sussex, reconstructed @ mill in 1980s , owner intended reconstruct machinery return building working mill. mill worked 3 pairs of millstones.

warden mill, wateringbury.

tq 690 532 51°15′10″n 0°25′22″e / 51.252811°n 0.422737°e / 51.252811; 0.422737

warden mill corn mill took name farm belonged, warden farm. first reference mill in november 1822, when john savage of cobham leased mill john selby of marden , john fellow of eynsford. in october 1829 james fremlin took on lease. selby , fellow(s) held freehold of mill until october 1838. in 1839 area of mill pond given ¾ acre. charles whittaker owner of mill in 1842 , april 1845 whittaker , fremlin joint owners, november 1847 mill had passed john selby. james fremlin purchased moiety of property in october 1871. purchased other share in property in december 1876. richard clemetson took on mill between 1878 , 1887, followed william james hawes sometime between 1890 , 1895. mill last worked in 1913 , demolished c.1914. head of water 8 feet (2.44 m). thought mill had breast shot waterwheel.