Passingford Mill (EHER 34059)

Watermill, built in the late 18th century. Turbine installed in 1931. Mill still working.

Passingford Bridge Mills is a Grade II Listed Building. A later 18th century three-storey timber-framed and weather-boarded flour mill with gable ends to the north and south and a plain tiled roof. Still in use as a mill-turbine at time of survey (1983). Now redundant. <1> <3> <9> This is a small free standing late 18th century watermill, altered in the early 20th century to operate on turbine and steam power and reportedly [as of 1969] still potentially capable of working (by turbine). <2> Among various inscriptions within is ‘Zack Tuck 1760’ which is believed to be the name of the first miller and date of construction. On Chapman and Andre's 1777 map, it is marked with a windmill symbol, but drawn over the stream - so could have been either a windmill or watermill at this time. <6> A new water/corn mill was on this site by 1779, in place of two earlier mills and a windmill. The present building is weatherboarded with a tiled roof, 3 storeys and a hoist loft. It was worked by steam power but the principal feature is the turbine (a stationary engine is in a brick building to north of wheel-housing), reportedly installed in 1931 in place of a waterwheel and is still working. <4> <9> The main mill is built over 4 or 5 bays with a two storey lean-to abutting the southern (roadside) end, a single storey lean-to to riverside (north) and a small 2 bay lean-to central to the western elevation. There is a 4:4:3 window range along the eastern elevation and a two window range in the opposite western wall. The windows are a mixture of styles, sizes and periods and are mainly 19th and 20th century replacements. A taking-in door is present at first floor level in the roadside lean-to. No lucam. The roofs and particularly the main roof have been patch repaired quite recently but still require more localised repair. The weatherboarding is modern (20th century) softwood feather-edge boarding which has been extensively repaired and patched over in recent years but still requires further repair to cover exposed timber framing. Deformation central to the western long wall at eaves level and within the roof suggests movement within the frame probably caused by structural failure or subsidence. There are two mill houses; the earlier is dated to 1635. A 19th century mill house lies to the east of the mill and a complex of out-buildings lie directly to the west. The 18th century grade II listed Olde Mill House (EHER 34057), predating the mill house/cottage directly adjacent to Passingford mill, lies around 200m to the west. A modern cranked weir and sluice gate feed into the original watercourse, which by-passes the mill site to the north. No internal access to the mill or either of the other two buildings was gained. <8> PRESENT USE: Redundant. CONDITION: Poor and deteriorating. The mill is clearly not weathertight and should remain on the Essex Buildings at Risk Register. <8> SIGNIFICANCE: It is presently disused and is one of a small number of watermills in Essex that have not been compromised through residential or commercial re-use. To an extent, its significance will depend upon the levels at which its internal spatial integrity and machinery survives. <2>