MSO11515 - Leigh Mill, Broadfield Wood (Monument)

Now in ruins. Wheel pit silted up. Remains of drain and oak axle. Cross tree gudgern. Fragments of oak gearing and hustings. Two pairs of coarse grit stones. [1] Marked "Leigh mill, disused" on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map. [2] Ruined building shown but not named on Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 map. [3] Also shown and named on Ordnance Survey 6 inch map. [4] The 1890 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map shows the building as a corn mill. The mill stream is also shown. [5] The remains of a watermill. The area in question is obscured with fallen trees and large laurel bushes. As far as can be ascertained, the following remains survive. The remains of the mill building lie at ST 0251 3549, close to a tributary stream of the Washford River. It is built of mortared slate slabs. Some walls stand to roof height, including the west gable end and part of the north wall. A lean to with bread oven stands against the west end. No further detail could be recorded. The remains of a wheel pit lie at the east end of the building at ST 0252 3548. It is stone lined and some 8 by 2 metres, and 3 metres deep. A large ash tree is growing out of its centre. A leat runs for 170 metres from the mill pond at ST 0239 3561 to the wheel pit. The leat is visible as a well defined earthwork for most of its course. Near the mill building it is 1.4 metres wide and 1 metres deep. None of the details recorded by Warren [1] are visible: the interior of the mill building is filled with rubble and obscured with laurel. Two small buildings are depicted on the OS 1st edition 25 inch map near Leigh Mill, on opposing sides of the stream, at ST 0250 3551 and ST 0251 3552 [5]. There is apparent evidence of the former, although the area is very overgrown. The remains of the latter can be ascertained as low stone walls. The remains smothered in brambles and no further details could be given. The structures are probably associated with nearby Leigh Mill. [6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7,8]