Seventeenth century windmill mound, 'Mill Hill', north-west of Stonards Farm (EHER 3739)

A mid 17th century windmill mound, described as 'Mill Hill' on the Chapman and Andre map of 1777 and excavated in 1968 to confirm its dating. It was dismantled in the late 17th century.

Mound described as Mill Hill on C and A map of 1777. <1> An overgrown artificial mound located on a hill amongst woodland, it measures 50m north-south by 45m. It stands c6m high. There is no surrounding ditch but deep surface scraping is evident nearby. The pronounced tail/ramp on the north side appears a deliberate and original feature. The mound is large for a mill stand but the 1777 name suggests its use and there is no evidence for a prior purpose. <2> A large man-made earth mound is located immediately on the south side of Stonnards Hill road, and north west of the disused Epping to Ongar railway. The mound is situated on an east facing land promontory at 103m above sea level and is surrounded by mature trees, mainly oak. Extensive views are found from the top of the mound, south along the River Roding Valley to the North Downs in Kent (40km) and northwards to The Rodings area (15km). The mound measures a maximum of 41.5m at its SW-NE ovoid shaped base. The top of the mound is about 32m in diameter and about 6.5m in height. The east and south sides have a ditch up to 7.5m wide and 1 –1.75m deep. The western side has a large excavated area that may be from a later date than the mound. The ditch may have been more complete until 1865 when Stonnards Hill was realigned when the railway was built. The steep bank on all sides of the mound are almost impossible to climb, except a section on the NNW of the mound where a (hidden) steep track exist. The volume of the mound is about 7,200³m. and would take about 50-55,000 man hours to construct. <3> See photo. <4> March 1968-1969. Archaeological excavation. In March 1968 it was decided to cut a section across a ditch which skirts the south western side of the mound in order to obtain dating evidence. The top of the mound was examined in 1969 in order to determine its function. Excavation evidence confirms the earthwork is a mill mound, erected in the mid 17th century and removed in the late 17th century. Its short life is further confirmed by a farthing of William and Mary of 1694 and clay pipes from around 1650-1710. The ditch was dug to provide the earth for the mound and appears to have been some 17 ft in width, it was re-dug in the 19th century. A collection of 17th century pottery was also recovered during the excavations. <5> Between 1968-1969 the West Essex Archaeology Group excavated the site. Excavations suggested that a small windmill had been built on the top of the mound in the second half of the 17th century. Its life span may have been as short as 35 years, the site director Frank Clark (Tel 0208 504 4984) found the site puzzling and impractical for the purpose of a windmill. That finds indicated the mill had a very limed life, it was clearly dismantled with care, possibly for use elsewhere. <3> June 1975. Field survey. A tree planted and overgrown artificial mound, located on a prominent hill in close woodland. It measures overall 50.0m north-south by 45.0m transversely, and stands 6.0m high. There is no surrounding ditch, but deep surface scraping is evident nearby. The pronounced tail/ramp on the north side appears a deliberate and original feature rising to a wide level top which shows no trace of structure. Although the mound is large for a mill stand, the 18th century name indicates its use, and there is no ground evidence of a prior purpose. Surveyed at 1:2,500. <6> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.