Thorrington Tide Mill and attached dam wall to NW (EHER 34312)

19th century tide mill, the only survival of its type in Essex.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Thorrington Tide Mill. Listed Grade II* < 1> Thorrington tide mill is the only surviving complete and working tide mill in Essex. There are no comparable working examples within the region and in a wider context it is one of a small number of working tide mills in the country and one of only a handful in Western Europe. As such Thorrington tide mill is not just one of the most important watermills in Essex it is important on a national and international level. <2> Aerial photographs of the mill in context <3> Photographs 1959 <4> History of sale and development Records of a mill at Thorrington exist from the medieval period, with a mention in Domesday (1086) and the gift of a mill site in the marsh in around 1245 by Richard de Asketot to St Johns Abbey, Colchester. Reference is made to a landing place, the mill on Alresford Creek around 1570 and around hundred years later the acquisition of the mill by the Revd. John Cox and its occupation by James Brand (1675). A few years later (1688) the mill passed into the hands of Joseph Thurston and by 1740 it was owned by William Walker, who also built an accompanying windmill on nearby Coopers Hill. Both the windmill and the tide mill are depicted on the Chapman and Andre map of Essex dated 1777. A bill of sale dated 1810 describes the mill as a ‘very valuable freehold estate in the centre of very productive corn country, surrounded by good markets. Now in the occupation of Daniel Poole, comprising a powerful and complete tide mill with two pairs of French stones to drive with spur gears, four flour mills, convenient stage, new waterwheel and all necessary machinery, with a constant supply of fresh water’. The mill was purchased the same year by William Eve and his son, who by 1820 had equipped it for grinding cement. By 1830-31 the mill was rebuilt and it is this mill which survives today. From 1841-1912 Thorrington was in the hands of the Cooper family and was last worked by water power in 1926 following the failure of the waterwheel, although it continued some time after using a portable steam engine. From 1941 local farmer Thomas Glover took on the mill but after it fell into disrepair sold it to Essex County Council in 1974, who preceded to restore it to its present condition. This programme of works, part funded by English Heritage, included structural repairs to the timber framing and roof to make it weathertight, the dredging of the watercourse, the reinforcement of the bank-side and the rebuilding of the waterwheel and wheel house. The gear train was completely overhauled, associated apparatus repaired and reinstated and the three pairs of millstones were fully refurbished. In 1990 the waterwheel was turning once more using tidal waterpower and in 1993 was opened to the public. Description Thorrington tide mill is situated at the end of Alresford Creek and within the salt marshes around Brightlingsea. As Alresford Creek flooded twice during a 24 hour period a pond dam and sluice arrangement was constructed at the end of the Tenpenny brook to trap the tidal water. The water from the pond or pound was released and channelled through the mill to power the waterwheel. Rebuilt in 1830- 1831 the present mill is 3½ storey timber-framed and weatherboarded with a gabled ended slate covered roof, oversailing lucam with straight braces and a brick base. It retains a 16ft diameter by 6ft wide cast-iron, flanged undershot waterwheel mounted upon a 12 inch diameter iron shaft on open bearings. The wheel sits within a rebuilt wheel pit/race and beneath a slated, open sided lean to shelter re-established on the site of its predecessor. A small lean-to counting house has also been rebuilt on its original site against the SE angle, while along the opposite wall a drive wheel, once used by the portable steam engine, remains in situ. A halved taking-in door is situated on first floor below the lucam in the eastern gable end wall and another along the southern wall at the same level. The sash windows’ joinery is mainly original although some windows were repaired, to the same design, during restoration. In common with the windows areas of weatherboarding were also replaced due to decay. This however was mainly confined to the leeward or western bays of the southern elevation and was replaced ‘like for like’ using cedar boards. Some structural replacement of the framing and part of the hursting was also carried out in this area of decay. Lying at the opposite end of the main iron axle and within the cog pit is a wooden pit wheel with iron cogs. This meshes with a cast-iron wallower mounted using oak wedges, onto an octagonal timber upright shaft. Above the wallower is the great spur wheel, a timber construction with wooden cogs. The spur wheel drives three cast-iron stone nuts, which in turn drive the stone spindles and the three sets of millstones on the floor above. The disengagement jacks for the stone nuts and the tentering gears remain in situ as do fixtures such as the twist pegs, spouts for the meal and the sluice controls. All three pairs of 4 foot French Burr stones remain on the stone floor. The octagonal tuns and the millstone furniture (horse, shoe and hopper) are complete although they are either part or complete replacements. The sack hoist or chain bollard providing drive to the sack hoist mechanism remains on the floor above. The sack chain and traps rise through the mill to provide an internal hoist for lifting sacks into the roof space. A catwalk or axial gangway was the main feature of the attic floor. It enabled grain hoisted up through the lucam to be barrowed into the grain bins which lay below either side. Above the catwalk and mounted into the apex of the roof are the pulleys of the sack hoist and an unusual high level trip lever installed to prevent the sacks damaging the roof structure above. The corn bins on the second floor were simply constructed using boards. They gravity fed, via sack chutes, the millstones on the floor below. Additional references <5> <6> <7> <8> Thorrington mill house (EHER 34313) is of 18th century or earlier origin with a late 19the century red brick facing and other alterations and additions. It is timber-framed, part plastered, red brick faced with an 18th century porch. <2>