Spring Valley Mill (EHER 34555)

A late 18th century watermill, later adapted to steam. It is a small timber framed and weather boarded water mill, two storeys and hoist loft, the roof mansard and tiled. No longer in use as a mill but in good condition. Millers cottage is a timber-framed two-storey structure, brick-nogged (late) and plastered, with modern roof, probably of the 15th-early 16th century, (close half-timbering). It is in good condition.

Spring Valley/ grade II/ gear in <1> Shown as Ardley mill on map of Moze Hall by Samuel Cosin 1636 and then as a fulling mill on the Chapman and Andre map of 1777. Deeds of 1791-1886 include a section (Sept.1863) which refers to a newly erected engine house with a 6 HP beam engine and 12 HP boiler. Late 18th century two and three storey timber framed and weatherboarded mill with a tiled mansard roof. The windows are double hung sashes with glazing bars. The machinery was largely intact in 1969 but water wheel floats were disintegrating. Cast iron overshot water wheel 13ft 6ins in diameter, 4ft 9ins wide, pit wheel, upright shaft , wallower, spur wheel and crown wheel all still in position. 3 pairs of stones, one 3ft 8in in dia. and the others 4ft, complete with tuns. Used for grinding and crushing beans until 1938. One of three fulling mills along the Salary Brook. Known as Spring Valley since 1840 but before as Ardley Mill. The last miller was Tom Clover whose family acquired the mill in 1886, but prior to Clover, Spring Valley was owned by Griffith family of Dalston who purchased it for £300 in 1873. At this point it was a working steam and flour mill with flour processing and smut machines and a newly erected boiler and engine house operating a 6HP beam engine and 12HP boiler. Built as a three stone country mill, the sifter, stones and corn feed remain (around 1975) as does the spur wheel, stone nuts and an iron penstock supplying an overshot wheel. Other survivals include a number of stone balls, perhaps used for grinding fullers earth and a small overshot waterwheel operating a water level alarm (Benham, 1976). The mill was derelict by 1966 but has since been restored by Mr G Young. The mill race from the mill pond sited along the NE wall of the mill feeds directly into the wheel pit located off centre and within the lower SE range. The mill pond is a large teardrop shaped pool, widened at the mill end to create sufficient head water. Through a sluice water is by passed around the mill to the south to rejoin the tail as it passes below Spring Valley Lane. The mill house (EHER 34556) lies immediately south of the mill and is a complex multi-period building dating from the 17th century or earlier. It is timber framed with a plastered ground floor, weatherboarded upper storey and plain tile roofs. Spring Valley Mill is a 3½ storey part brick, part timber framed and weatherboarded mill. It has a plain tile Mansard roof with eaves over the first floor level and an over-sailing lucam projecting NW to roadside. Aligned NW-SE the roof of the Mansard covering the NW bays (possibly of 3 bays) rise slightly above the ridgeline of the adjoining in-line range to the SE. The latter is also roofed using a Mansard construction but unlike the road side bays has a hipped end. Externally the mill seems to have altered little since it was listed in 1966. No noticeable alterations have occurred to the doors or windows, which retain halved or vertically boarded doors and sash windows respectively. Internal access to the mill was not available, therefore an assessment of its surviving gearing, fixtures and fittings could not be completed. Presently the mill is in a poor state of repair and has been since at least 1995, when it was first added to the Essex Buildings at Risk Register. Concerns remain over how watertight the building is, the Mansard roof over the roadside range is sagging badly, it is overgrown with ivy and in places the mill is missing weatherboarding particularly along the base of the lucam. Generally the appearance suggests chronic neglect. Present Use: Disused Condition: Poor, requires immediate attention SITE SIGNIFICANCE A three stone country corn and steam mill which survives as 1 of 14 watermills in Essex that remain in an unconverted state and one of an even fewer number which (potentially) still retains all, or a high proportion of its mill gearing, fixtures and fittings. The importance of this gearing is heightened by the unusual use of an overshot waterwheel, Spring Valley being one of only eight extant overshot mills built in Essex and one of only two (the other Bourne Mill, Colchester) that still retains its waterwheel. Its continued disuse and the reluctance of the district to grant planning for residential use has been a major factor in the buildings preservation but also the reason behind the general lack of maintenance by the current owner. In its present intact state Spring Valley Mill survives as one of the most important watermills in the county.<2> Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. <3> 'Spring Valley Mill (Ardley Mill)' (nameboard). As described above and in good condition. At present disused. See G.P. AO/60/59/7 from N. Millers cottage is a timber-framed two-storey structure, brick-nogged (late) and plastered, with modern roof, probably of the 15 century or early 16 century (Close half-timbering). In good condition. <4> Additional reference <5> - <9> Photographed <10> Description from record 9: Disused water mill. There was a fulling mill here in 1777 <1> <2> Site scheduled in 1951 but de-scheduled in 1995. <3> Site Management: = Application to demolish (14-12-1982), refused (2-3-1983)