MSO9354 - Lower Mill, Dulverton (Building)

Lower Mill is a three-storeyed building, which was fed by the main town leat and had a fender, relief sluice and sluice to the wheel pit. It was still in use as a mill before 1943, but had become 'Mill House' by 1970.

'Lower Mill' is shown on a the 1962 Ordnance Survey map. [1] The mill is marked as a corn mill on the Second Edition Ordnance Survey map. [2] The mill is shown on the 1820 town map. [3] 'Mill house' is printed on the 1970 Ordnance Survey map. [4] It is a three-storeyed building, which has been converted into a dwelling. It was fed by the main town leat from SS91242868, and had a fender, relief sluice and sluice to the wheel pit. The wheel measured 12 feet in diameter and 5 feet wide. There are remains of an earlier sluice on the low brest wheel. A trail race was culverted under the mill. [5] Lower Mill was a grist mill in the hands of the Scott family until the 1920s, and by William Gibbons in the 1930s. [7] A mill stood close to the southern end of the mill leat at least by 1790, and very probably earlier. In 1790, this was still a small building, but it was developed and extended in the early 19th century. [8, 9] Lower Mill functioned as a corn mill until the 1930s and had a single low brest wheel, with the race culverted under the mill itself. [10] E-mail correspondence from the family of William Henry Gibbons advises that the latter purchased Lower Mill from Mr Scott in 1922 for £1,500. William had already been renting and operating Oakfordbridge Mills, having taken over from his father who became the tenant in 1879. In May 1926, William Gibbons also purchased Oakfordbridge Mills when Stuckeridge Estate properties were sold off to pay TC Daniel's death duties. As Mr Gibbons was living at Oakfordbridge, his brother, Joseph Gibbons operated Lower Mill, Dulverton until 1932, when William Gibbons' wife and son took over. There was little grain to mill during the war, so Mr Williams sold Lower Mill in about 1943. [11] Lower Mill is depicted on a 1790 survey of Dulverton. A 1820 map depicts the mill with a water wheel crossing the town leat [12]. By 1861, Henry Scott ran the grist mill at Lower Mill. The mill is also recorded as being a grist mill in the 1920s and 1920s. [13] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [14] The building is mentioned in the 2019 Conservation Area Appraisal for Dulverton. [15] The heritage asset was assessed for inclusion on the Exmoor Local Heritage List in November 2022. It was decided to add the asset to the Local Heritage List. [16]