River Len. Medway watermills (lower tributaries)

1 river len.

1.1 polhill (holme) mill, harrietsham.
1.2 chegworth mill, ulcombe.
1.3 mille, broomfield
1.4 le mille, broomfield
1.5 leeds castle mill, broomfield.
1.6 keepers cottage mill, broomfield
1.7 old (boxley, hollingbourne, hurst, mote hole) mill, leeds.
1.8 brandescombe (buscombe, fulling) mill, leeds
1.9 thurnham (ballard s) mill
1.10 thurnham mill.
1.11 otham mill.
1.12 otham paper mill
1.13 poll (pole, mote) mill, boxley
1.14 turkey mill, boxley.
1.15 christian s mill, maidstone
1.16 padsole (lenworth) mill, maidstone.
1.17 church mill, maidstone.
1.18 little church mill, maidstone.

river len.

the river len enters medway right @ maidstone. powered number of watermills, source mouth were:-

polhill (holme) mill, harrietsham.

tq 861 523 51°14′22″n 0°40′01″e / 51.239401°n 0.667064°e / 51.239401; 0.667064

a domesday site, holme mill recorded holemiln in 1254 , holemille in 1332. in 1542 manor of polhill in ownership of john stede. mill passed son thomas , son matthew. mill owned francis colepeper esq @ time of death in 1590. worth 40s per annum then. in 1668 mill held john ruffen. fulling mill. peter theobalds tenant @ time of death in 1690. time mill converted corn mill. stephen weeks miller 1700–1726, followed son john. followed son thomas. thomas knight leased mill 21 years 1779. followed george cronk , john brazier , thomas martin, miller in 1824. in 1847 john bunger miller, followed william , thomas taylor in 1855. in 1895, mill in occupation of miller bros, followed mrs rhoda vinson 1907 - 1913. mill had collapsed time coles finch visited , demolished in 1929, although waterwheel , pentrough weeks of maidstone survive.

chegworth mill, ulcombe.

chegworth mill

tq 849 527 51°14′36″n 0°39′00″e / 51.243384°n 0.650098°e / 51.243384; 0.650098

chegworth mill not domesday mill recorded @ ulcombe. first reference chegworth occurs in 1200. first definite reference mill in 1317, when mill held john de cheggeworth. john de chageworth recorded @ mill in 1324. mill in ownership of sir cheney culpeper in 1657. known lower mill. previous owners thomas hatche , richard austen, had sold mill @ date. john pecke miller. seventeenth century millers in ulcombe include willia pettit (1612), percival austen (1669), thomas sylliborne (1673) , john baker (1682). not known mill each at, there being 2 watermills , windmill in ulcombe during period. william taylor miller in mid-nineteenth century. in 1702, john feverstone miller. mill known pendmill in 1745 when miller recorded john feverstour elder. john feverstone older miller in 1766, when lease renewed. richard tilbe being owner @ time. thomas willett leased mill in 1792 , in 1800 chegworth mill, otherwise pendmill mortgaged willett. mill recorded checqworth mill on 1801 ordnance survey map. john taylor miller in 1847, followed g craddock in 1852, j gilbert, william , thomas taylor in 1854, mrs m cradduck, j gilbert , thomas taylor 1855 - 1861, charles wicks in 1874, alfred wick 1895 - 1907, frederick james potter 1930 - 1934. last miller ted uren, started @ mill in 1961, , took on harold potter. mill house converted c.1990. present mill corn mill , worked until late 1960s. has overshot waterwheel of 10 feet 10 inches (3.30 m) diameter , 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) wide, made weeks of maidstone. axle cast iron , 7 ⁄2 inches (190 mm) square. pit wheel cast iron 96 lignum vitae cogs. cast iron upright shaft carries cast iron wallower 38 teeth , cast iron great spur wheel 104 cogs. powered 3 pairs of millstones. 1 pair french burr stones (by hughes & son of dover , london) of 44 inches (1.12 m) diameter, 1 pair peak stones of 46 inches (1.17 m) diameter , third pair have peak runner stone on french burr bedstone, both 42 inches (1.07 m) diameter. crown wheel drove 2 layshafts, powered various machines including ureka winnower , oat crusher ganz & co., of budapest, hungary. saw bench outside mill driven belts & pulleys. sack hoist driven top of upright shaft.

the mille, broomfield

tq 834 536 51°15′07″n 0°37′37″e / 51.252°n 0.627°e / 51.252; 0.627

possibly domesday site, mill marked on map dated 1649. 1748 map shows watercourses no mill. head of water available 10 feet (3.05 m), indicating breast shot or overshot waterwheel.

le mille, broomfield

tq 834 532 51°14′53″n 0°37′34″e / 51.248°n 0.626°e / 51.248; 0.626

the first mention of mill in 1368 when fulling mill had been erected thomas burgeys of smarden. in 1486 mill held thomas bourghchier younger. mill marked on map of leeds castle dated 1649. in 1748, waterways , mill pond marked on map, no building. mill seems have ceased work sometime after 1660s, when john rogers recorded fuller in leeds. mill may have had breast shot or overshot waterwheel.

leeds castle mill, broomfield.

tq 835 532 51°14′54″n 0°37′49″e / 51.248328°n 0.630317°e / 51.248328; 0.630317

a mill recorded @ broomfield in domesday book. predated building of mill either robert de crevecoeur or son hamo de crevecoeur in 1100. built corn mill, there evidence had been converted fulling mill 1368. being work of thomas burgeys of smarden. surviving mill building dates thirteenth century , fell out of use in middle seventeenth century. building 16 feet (4.88 m) wide, 42 feet (12.80 m) long , 35 feet (10.67 m) high. waterwheel driven lake castle. mill located between outer barbican , inner barbican , breast shot waterwheel have been 10 feet (3.05 m) or 11 feet (3.35 m) diameter , 3 feet (0.91 m) wide. remains of pair of peak millstones recorded lying in wheel pit in 1967. stones seemed of nineteenth century manufacture , not known whether came mill of 1 of other mills owned leeds castle estate.

keepers cottage mill, broomfield

tq 831 536 51°15′07″n 0°37′19″e / 51.252°n 0.622°e / 51.252; 0.622

a possible mill site, building marked on map of leeds castle dated 1748 on island lies above keeper s cottage. site not domesday site , if mill existed here disappeared in late middle ages.

old (boxley, hollingbourne, hurst, mote hole) mill, leeds.

tq 820 541 51°15′25″n 0°36′33″e / 51.256894°n 0.609303°e / 51.256894; 0.609303

this mill stood on parish boundary of hollingbourne , leeds. in 1654 mill recorded fulling mill in occupation of john , william dann. william dann, fuller, of leeds recorded having been bondsman @ wedding in 1640. fulling mill had gone 1723. in 1733, sir roger meredith, baronet, of leeds abbey leased land in hollingbourne james whatman permission erect new dwelling house , papermill. whatman sub-leased part of land richard harris 1733–1736, william quelch , john terry 1739–1741 , john saunders 1741 - 1748. followed henry french 1749 - 1770. james whatman jr inherited freehold in 1759 , occupied mill until 1775. followed clement taylor occupier 1776–1791 , 1794 mr calcraft had acquired freehold. in 1795, messrs balston, finch, hollingworth & co owner occupiers. in 1824, messrs hollingworth, finch , thomas occupiers. in 1843, john hollingworth, papermaker, occupier. mill still paper mill in 1847 had been converted corn mill 1852, when miller 1 of r dawson, e nye of h nye (the other 2 millers being @ eyhorne , manor mills, hollingbourne). in 1854, richard ashbe , john bunyar millers @ mote hole mill. william skinner miller in 1855. william taylor miller @ old mill in 1874. george stephen kingsnorth miller @ mote hole mill in 1895, followed medway milling co in 1907. in 1908, mill being used grind cocoa beans. edward weller miller in 1913. mill had ceased work 1922 , idle 1928. mill gearing had been jammed baulk of timber, jamming machinery date. old mill 5 storeys high. had overshot waterwheel of @ least 12 feet (3.66 m) diameter , 7 feet (2.13 m) width. drove 6 pairs of millstones lineshaft. machinery removed during world war ii , mill demolished c. 1955.

brandescombe (buscombe, fulling) mill, leeds

tq 812 540 51°15′22″n 0°35′42″e / 51.256°n 0.595°e / 51.256; 0.595

this mill presented priory of leeds robert de crevecoeur younger. mill mentioned in of daniel de crevequer, died in 1177. @ time corn mill. leeds priory dissolved in 1539 , mill still in ownership of priory then. in 1628, thomas fludd , ralphe buffkin sold mill william cage of lincoln s inn, middlesex. time fulling mill. cage still owner in 1689, when mill in occupation of william tompkin , had been in occupation of bob potter. potter remained in occupation until @ least 1707. hasted noted mill still working in 1798 , greenwood s map of 1822 marks mill shilling mill. mill had breast-shot waterwheel head not sufficient overshot wheel. fulling mill had ceased used mill 1843, there being no entry in bagshaw s directory of year. surviving building of fifteenth century.

thurnham (ballard s) mill

this domesday mill, , stood 200 yards (180 m) upstream of present mill, on south side of milgate park. in 1624 mill occupied edward chambers. in 1635 mill, late in occupation of matthew chambers, being 2 corn mills , fulling mill, conveyed william cage. in 1685 celia cage, widow of matthew, held mills. fulling having apparently been discontinued time. william barber miller in mid-eighteenth century, , richard ballard took mill in 1777. ballard still in occupation in 1815, when mill marked ballard s mill on map of new turnpike maidstone bearsted. millpond 400 feet (120 m) long , dam 7 feet (2.13 m) high, indicating waterwheel breastshot. ballard s mill demolished c.1828 , new mill built downstream. turbine installed @ old mill site, , remains visible in late 1960s.

thurnham mill.

tq 802 54751°15′46″n 0°35′02″e / 51.262856°n 0.583835°e / 51.262856; 0.583835

thurnham mill reflected in water.

this mill built cage family in late 1820s on piece of land called byfrance, part of milgate estate. tail race ballard s mill extended 200 yards (180 m) sufficient height drive overshot waterwheel of 9 feet (2.74 m) diameter , 10 feet (3.05 m) wide. waterwheel carried on cast iron axle , drove 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter cast iron pit wheel wooden cogs. drove wallower on upright shaft, 6 feet (1.83 m) diameter cast iron great spur wheel drove 4 pairs of millstones. there 2 pairs of french burr stones , 2 pairs of peak stones. 1 pair of each type 4 feet (1.22 m) diameter , other pair of each type 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) diameter. @ top of upright shaft 5 feet (1.52 m) diameter cast iron crown wheel. blinkhorn family had long association millers @ mill, john blinkhorn being miller in 1825. j blinkhorn miller in 1852 , john blinkhorn in 1874. new waterwheel fitted after world war i. marshall bros millers 1930 - 1934. mill working until world war ii when axle waterwheel broke. of machinery scrapped. mill sold house conversion in 1986, @ time frame of waterwheel , pit wheel survived, other machinery having been removed.

otham mill.

also known bearsted mill, corn mill built in 1837. still standing in 1939 , overshot waterwheel had width exceeded diameter.

otham paper mill

originally built fulling mill in 1527. machinery made cranbrook millwright george jenkyn. mill have 2 overshot waterheels 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) diameter. contract signed on 8 january 1527, mill completed may day. total cost of mill £88 5s 3d. mill had been converted paper mill 1700. 1830s otham paper mill occupied papermakers @ turkey mill. paper making machine installed, removed turkey mill in 1859, when mill converted house 2 engine washer cleaning , beating rags use in papermaking process. mill marked on first 6 ordnance survey map.

poll (pole, mote) mill, boxley

tq 774 553 51°16′09″n 0°32′39″e / 51.269125°n 0.544038°e / 51.269125; 0.544038

originally built fulling mill in 1527. machinery made cranbrook millwright george jenkyn. mill have 2 overshot waterheels 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) diameter. contract signed on 8 january, mill completed may day. total cost of mill £88 5s 3d. mill had been converted paper mill 1700. 1830s otham paper mill occupied papermakers @ turkey mill. paper making machine installed, removed turkey mill in 1859, when mill converted house 2 engine washer cleaning , beating rags use in papermaking process. mill marked on first 6 ordnance survey map.

turkey mill, boxley.

tq 772 556 51°16′19″n 0°32′29″e / 51.271883°n 0.541323°e / 51.271883; 0.541323

this mill fulling mill , known have been used such between 1640 , 1671. @ various times known overloppe mill (1640,) , gill s mill (1732). overloppe mill sold £493 simon smythe of tenterden john fletcher of boxley in 1640. mill passed richard fletcher in 1657 , john cripps 1693. thomas tolhurst fuller 1640 - 1675. mill converted fulling mill paper mill during time john cripps owned it. mill passed dorothy cripps in 1695. granted 41-year lease george gill. lease passed son william, acquired freehold of mill john , christopher cripps, sons of john cripps. gill declared bankrupt in 1731 , mill passed james brooke, chief mortgagee. richard harris tenant in 1736, acquiring freehold in 1738. harris demolished old mill buildings , erected new mill, died in november 1739 before work completed. name turkey mill first recorded in 1739. mill passed ann cripps, married james whatman in 1740. james whatman acquired mill, , here developed wove paper. @ time turkey mill largest paper mill in country. mill sold james whatman jr in 1792 thomas, robert , finch hollingworth of maidstone substantial sum of £32,000. hollingworths in partnership william balston, withdrew partnership in 1805 , set new paper mill @ springfield, maidstone. ownership of mill passed thomas hollingworth through sons , thence through nieces until major william pitt sole owner. on death in 1976 turkey mills bought wiggins teape , closed down, ending on 280 years of continuous paper production @ mill. longest paper mill in great britain.

watermarks.

the copyright of j whatman transferred william balston in 1806 , production of whatman paper @ turkey mill. in 1859 turkey mill watermark sold william balston s 2 sons @ springfield mill, , thereafter paper produced @ turkey mill watermarked original turkey mill , o.t.m. or t & j hollingworth .

uses of paper produced @ turkey mill.

the artist thomas gainsborough used paper produced @ mill drawings. wrote in 1797 worth guinea quire . j. m. w. turner used whatman paper , william blake used 4 of illustrated books. napoleon wrote on whatman paper , queen victoria used personal correspondence. in 1930s soviet leaders used whatman paper publish five-year plan future of ussr , @ end of world war 2 peace treaty japan written on whatman paper.

christian s mill, maidstone

this fulling mill. william pertis miller in 1716, having been preceded george overy. pertis sold mill william gill in 1719. mill had been demolished 1735 , replaced 6 houses known square . demolished cottage nearby called fulling mill house , bore date 1567.

padsole (lenworth) mill, maidstone.

tq 764 556 51°16′20″n 0°31′48″e / 51.272131°n 0.529865°e / 51.272131; 0.529865

possibly domesday site, mill stood in water lane. dispute on building of mill here reached kings court in 1313-4. mill 1 of 2 in maidstone owned christ church, canterbury. 21-year lease granted archbishop courtenay in 1385 william walbelton , richard haute. mill known poll mill in 1449 (a fulling mill). in 1510 miller 1 of 22 tenants of archbishop of canterbury considered rent excessive , refused pay. in 1548 consisted of 2 wheat mills, 2 fulling mills, malt-mill , 2 potchers. known paddes fulling mill in 1550 , paddle le myll in 1608. in 1650, padsole mill owned sir william culpeper. mill derelict end of eighteenth century , subsequently demolished. mill rebuilt james smythe in 1795 paper mill. smythe in partnership hollingworth brothers. acquired mill , sold john wise , john hayes in 1799. mill marked on brown & son s survey of maidstone, 1821. mill demolished in 1874 , new corn mill built nearby william taylor of chegworth mill. last mill building 3 storey brick structure. messrs bradley, taylor , youngman millers in 1957, mill had ceased work water power then. building survived until 1980s.

church mill, maidstone.

tq 759 555 51°16′17″n 0°31′22″e / 51.271387°n 0.522654°e / 51.271387; 0.522654

the mill pond

church mill 1 of 2 mills in maidstone owned christ church, canterbury. may 1 of 5 domesday mills recorded in maidstone. church mill standing in 1572. william purtis/purlis miller in 1752, renewing lease on mill in year. inventory @ time showed church mill had 2 pairs of french burr millstones , 1 pair of peak millstones. marked on brown & son s survey of maidstone, 1821. mill demolished in 1903 part of road widening scheme. millpond survives.

little church mill, maidstone.

tq 760 555 51°16′17″n 0°31′27″e / 51.271356°n 0.524087°e / 51.271356; 0.524087

this mill stood on watercourse bypass church mill. william purtis/purlis miller in 1752, renewing lease on mill in year. inventory @ time showed little church mill had 1 pair of french burr millstones , 4 bolting mills. marked on brown & son s survey of maidstone, 1821. mill demolished in nineteenth century.