Description

STURMINSTER NEWTON

1140/9/99 NEWTON
04-OCT-60 STURMINSTER NEWTON MILL

(Formerly listed as:
NEWTON
NEWTON
MILL)

II*

ST 7813 STURMINSTER NEWTON NEWTON

9/99 Sturminster Newton Mill
(formerly listed as Mill)
4.10.60
II*
Water grist mill. C16/17, partly reconstructed circa mid C17; extended late C18/early C19. Ashlar and coursed stone rubble; remains of earlier timber-framing in north wall of south range; English bond red brick north range on earlier ashlar plinth. Stone tile and clay plain tile roofs with gabled and half-hipped ends.
PLAN: Overall L-shaped on plan; the south range probably date from the late C16 and was timber-framed originally, but was reconstructed in stone circa mid C17; the late C18 or early C19 brick north wing stands on an earlier stone base, which is thought to be the remains of a fulling mill referred to in a deed of 1611. The machinery was replaced in the C19 and the undershot water wheels were replaced by a water turbine in 1904.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attic. The south range has an ashlar south wall with three casement windows with small panes on the first floor; main entrance on east end with taking-in door above and window to right and in gable above; the north wall of the south range is partly stone and brick with remains of earlier timber-framing and on the north east corner there is a diagonally-set buttress with a weathered set-off. The north wing has an ashlar plinth and is constructed of brick above, the 2-light timber windows have cambered brick arches and the wheel-pit situated between the two ranges now contains the turbine room; small loft window in north gable end.
INTERIOR: Low in the west end wall of the south range [on the meal floor] there is a blocked stone Tudor arch doorway; on the stones floor above the floor beams are supported at their north ends by timber posts with moulded corbelled heads; large unchamfered floor beams and joists. The south range has late C16 or early C17 roof structure, the collar trusses [mortice-and-tenoned collars replaced by collars set higher] have two tiers of threaded purlins, threaded diagonal ridgepiece, curved wind-braces and common-rafters mostly intact. Roof of north wing has tie-beam trusses with staggered trenched purlins, diagonally-set ridgepiece, halved and lapped collars and common-rafters intact. The C19 machinery is intact and in working order, including grain bins on the bins floor. There were a pair of under-shot water wheels side-by-side installed in 1849, but replaced in 1904 by a single water turbine. Two of the three pairs of millstones were replaced in 1947 by a pair of hammer-mills.
NOTE: A mill on this site was recorded in the Domesday Book. A deed of 1611 refers to a fulling or tucking mill built next to John Young's grist mill.
Sturminster Newton Mill is an outstanding early example of a substantial C16/17 water mill with C19 machinery intact.
SOURCES: [1] RCHM, Dorset, vol III, 1970, p.284, no.56. [2] Loosmore, P., Clarke, R., Sturminster Newton Mill; Sturminster Newton Museum, booklet no.6, June 1995.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17539692

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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