Bran End Mill (EHER 36493)

Mid to late 19th century red brick water mill on site of earlier mills.

Bran End Mill - gutted. <1> 2008. Field survey. Records exist of a mortgage dated 1745 by Samuel Playle of Stebbing to Richard Pettit of Great Sailing for Elliots or Brands End Mill. Subsequent mortgages were made in 1752 and 1816 between Playle and Pettit and Mott, and with John Francis. In 1839 the mill was worked by Joseph Whitehead but was rebuilt about 1870 and placed on the market in 1886 and advertised as having a steam plant and an associated tower windmill. It ceased flour milling by 1887 but continued under Alfred Brabridge (1895) and James Lockett until 1906. Latterly grist for animal feed was ground by C.G. Pulford and Sons who took over the mill in 1907. At this point it still had an overshot wheel with a 14ft fall and two pairs of 4ft 6inch French Burrs. It occasionally milled small amounts of corn for local farmers into the early 20th century. It is a 3½ storey (including basement and attic) five bay red brick mill under a gabled slate roof. Built using pier and panel with projecting pilasters, the mill comprises three equal sized bays to the north-east and a wider bay to the south-west (as seen from the rear). To the roadside the larger bay is divided by an additional pilaster supporting an off-centre loading door at first floor (now converted to a window). This discrepancy in bay size is most likely associated with the location of the main mill gearing; water wheel, stone gear and stones and of the steam engine, once housed in a projection built against the south-west angle. The gable ended lucam lies central to the roof and is positioned above the eaves and within the roof structure of the north-west roadside elevation. Small segmental windows light the attic floor from both gables. The brickwork is laid in Flemish bond and remains in a good condition despite its re-pointing using a hard mortar with weather-struck joints. Most of the window and door apertures retain their original segmental rough brick heads and plain stone sills. The present windows are modern timber 6x3 light casements on a horizontal (hopper type) pivot that have replaced the original metal windows mentioned in the listing. The barge boards, eave soffits and the weatherboarding of the lucam is all modern work. Roof lights have been added into the rear roof pitch. No Internal access. A large mill pond lying to the north-west of the mill provided water to both the mill and the site of the former mill (to the north-east) via culverts running below the B1057 Dunmow Road. As the culvert to Bran End Mill appears to be blocked or at least partially blocked, the main volume of water now passes through the north-east culvert, rebuilt in concrete during the latter part of the 20th century, and by passes the mill to the north. The mill tail has recently been culverted, suggesting some water must still pass through the wheel pit. The site of a former watermill, of which only the 18th century timber framed mill house (EHER 36494) survives, lies to the north-east of the existing Bran End Mill. Condition: Converted into apartments. Condition: Fair-good. <2> See: <3>