Codham Mill and Mill House (EHER 6457)

Codham Mill and mill house. Water mill of the 18th century, and house of the 17th and 18th century.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 6457 and 28239. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Codham Mill [NAT]. <1> Codham Mill and mill house. Water mill of the 18th century, and house of the 17th and 18th century. Grade II. <2> <3> Codham Mill and house. The house forms the north wing of an L-shaped block and was built early in the 17th century; at the end of the same or early in the 18th century, the mill which forms the west wing was built. There are modern additions at the north end of the north wing and in the angle between the wings. <4> On Chapman and Andre map of 1777, water mill symbol shown. <5> 2008. Survey. Deeds show that Codham Hall Mill was part of the Codham Hall Farm Estate from at least 1820-1905, and it is likely that it was Codham Hall which financed the mills construction in the 18th century and possibly an earlier mill in the previous century. John Ashby came to Codham in 1903 after the previous miller Daniel West, had emigrated. His sons F. and S. Ashby continued until the mill finally closed in 1956. The later trade was in animal food, a business which becomes increasingly competitive during the first half of the 20th century until it disappears as farmers invest in their own crushers. This is one of the few mills which relied on tooth removal for nut disengagement, so the cogpit provides a fine example of the simple layout which sufficed before pinion jacks. Wooden teeth in iron mortice wheels are favoured for the drive gear and the big wheel has wooden paddles mounted on a 17ft diameter iron frame. On the wooden upright shaft a compass arm spur wheel appears to have been removed on the stone floor to be replaced by an iron crown wheel on the floor above. The crown wheel drove a layshaft which powered flour dressing plant introduced in the 19th century. The building is sound and spacious, the old style machinery complete and well preserved, and the wooden paddles have lasted well. Codham must rank among the mills which preservation and renovation would be both practical and rewarding. Codham mill has been in the ownership of the present incumbent since it closed in 1956. Since then very little work apart from general maintenance to the mill and house has been carried out. As such the list description (see above) has altered very little and according to the owner the heavy gearing listed by Benham in 1976 still remains but needs renovation, particularly the many wooden paddles of the water wheel. Although the mill was removed from the Buildings at Risk Register in 2007 after addressing the problem of invasive ivy, the mill still appears unkempt, the weatherboarding needs painting while some of the mill house windows and particularly the two mill house brick stacks need urgent repair. Codham Mill lies to the east of Church End, Shalford, to the west of Little and Great Codham Halls and along a single track road which doglegs around the mill on its journey towards Beazley End. It is aligned approximately east-west across the mill leat, which flows from north to south and to the east of the natural river course of the Pant. A sluice is located about 125m to the north of the mill and at the junction of the leat and river Pant, the latter circumventing the mill to the west. The sluice mechanism is in a poor condition, lacking its gates, their runners and most of its winding gear and is as such inoperable. The super structure which bridges the watercourse has recently been renovated by the Environmental Agency. The mill leat is dry, which is normal for the summer months suggesting Codham was a winter mill. The mill tail emerges to the south of the mill and road and from below a brick bridge built with a single rounded arch and southern parapet wall. The site at Codham comprises a small group of buildings either side of the road. The 18th century mill and mill house are built in-line and front onto the roadside. A smaller but slightly earlier 17th century former mill house, retained when the mill was rebuilt, projects to the rear (north) of the 18th century mill house. It is in turn abutted to the north by a single storey 19th century brick outbuilding. To the south and east of the road are a small timber-framed and weatherboarded granary and a barn. The two buildings to the south of the road are no longer associated by ownership with the mill. The 18th century mill and mill house are contemporary, continuous timber framed structures built in-line over 3 storeys with attics. They (it) has a gabled ended roof with gables to the east and west and is covered with handmade clay plain tiles. Unusually the roof does not incorporate a lucam. The watermill is traditionally clad using weatherboard, which where original has a beaded detail along the soffit. A clear distinction in status is apparent between the working mill and mill house, as the latter is plastered, has plaster quoining to the façade and an elaborate pedimented canopy over the main entrance. The waterwheel and pit is situated within the westernmost bay of the mill and partially within a weatherboarded outshut projecting to the rear (N), out over the leat. The western gable end wall which flanks the waterwheel bay to the west was recently underpinned and a new sole plate inserted (pers. comm.). A doorway into the wheel pit through the gable wall is present at ground floor level while a blocked window formerly lighting the attic storey is visible in the gable. A loading doorway with a heck-type (halved) vertical boarded door is at first floor in the eastern bay and above the main door into the mill at ground floor. Another loading doorway with a simple vertical boarded door lies to the west and one bay inset from the western end. The windows are symmetrically spaced across the facade of both mill and mill house. Original 18th century three light windows with a central casement remain at fist and second floors in the central bay and at second floor in the mill house. A 19th century horizontal sliding sash of 12 lights is present in the western bay. The upper windows lie just below the eaves and presumably directly underneath the wall plate. The mill house upper window has been slightly altered with the addition of transoms into the side lights and lies above a 20th century Crittall casement at first floor and a 19th century bay window at ground floor. A substantial rebuilt brick stack with oversailing courses and terracotta pots projects through the rear roof pitch of the 18th century mill house. The ridge of the adjoining 17th century rear range laps over the eaves of the later mill house to align directly with its stack. This two storey timber framed 17th century house has plastered elevations decorated to roadside with simple pargetting, a gable ended plain tile roof and an axial stack built toward its northern gable wall. It has a side purlin roof with a about 45º pitch and a selection of 18th and 19th century sashes and 20th century casements. To the north is a single storey brick built outbuilding covered with a plain tile roof presently obscured beneath a healthy covering of moss and ivy. Present Use: Disused although Mill House occupied Condition: Fair but needs attention Codham Mill is a fine example of a three pair 'winter' mill. It survives as one of only a few mills in Essex that remains unconverted (residential or commercial) and due to levels of survival could potentially be brought back into operational use. Codham survives as one of the most important timber-framed watermills in the county. <6> See also: <7>