Monument record MDO20116 - North Mills, North Mills Road, Bridport

North Mills was a large water- and steam-powered complex built on the site of a corn mill by William Hounsell and Co. and used for twine, netting and sailcloth manufacture. The main phase of development of the mills was in the late 1850s and 1860s with the construction of new steam-powered hemp spinning mills, with net braiding machines, covered ropewalks and other buildings in the later 19th and early 20th century. In 1982 the site was sold off to become a trading estate. Subsequently, many of the earliest buildings have been demolished. The most significant buildings still surviving are a mid-19th century warehouse and a covered ropewalk.

North Mills was established in the early 19th century as a large water- and steam-powered complex on the site of a corn mill. It was occupied by William Hounsell and Co. and used for twine, netting and sailcloth manufacture. (1) (2) The corn mill was bought by Hounsells in 1806 and converted into a flax spinning mill and in 1825, the weaving shops were moved here from Wykes Court. (3)

The main phase of development of the mills was in the late 1850s and 1860s with the construction of new steam-powered hemp spinning mills. Net braiding machines and covered ropewalks had been added by the 1870s. In 1884 a number of new buildings were opened, including a new shed with tan and drying houses, new offices, a hemp store of four storeys with a spinning walk attached, a room for twine making machinery and a hemp rolling mill. The final stage of growth was in 1918, when a new factory was added to replace the rope works at Sparacre, following the merger which formed the company of Hounsell’s (Bridport) Ltd. By this time the site comprised several powered multi-storey mills with flax warehouses, northlight sheds and covered ropewalks. (3) (4) (5) In 1947 Hounsell’s became part of Bridport Industries, which later became Bridport Gundry. North Mills was the spinning and line-making site for Bridport Gundry (3). In 1982 the site was sold off to become a trading estate.

Many of the earliest buildings have been demolished including the original water-powered mill and the adjacent pond has been filled in. The mill was built across the mill race below the pond and was a traditional brick multi-storey block of seven bays and a slate roof, with an internal water wheel (5). The largest surviving building is a large well-preserved three-storeyed warehouse of mid-19th century date. A number of late 19th and early 20th century sheds with an attached engine house survive to the north of the warehouse. A covered rope walk also survives and is the largest and one of the earliest intact rope walks still extant in Bridport. (1) (2)

The main remaining building on the site is a mid-nineteenth century double warehouse of roughly dressed coursed rubble stone. Each half is of 5 bays and 3 storeys plus a loft. At the east end are two sets of loading doors to all floors, each set with a projecting hoist-beam. The windows and doors have arched stone heads. The quoins and jambs of the southern range are of rough stone, those of northern range are dressed. <11>

<1> Williams, M, 2006, Bridport and West Bay. The buildings of the flax and hemp industry, 29 (Monograph). SDO10498.

<2> Jones, B V and Williams, M, 2002, Bridport: An Assessment of Townscape & Buildings, 59 (Unpublished document). SDO10497.

<3> Sims, R, 2006, The Rope, Net and Twine Industry of Bridport. 2) Factory Mills (Monograph). SDO10541.

<4> Martin, C, 2003, The Bridport Trade. Rope & Net : Hemp & Flax, 31 (Monograph). SDO10501.

<5> Bone, M R, 1985, 'The Bridport Flax and Hemp Industry' Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society Journal, 29-30 (Article in serial). SWX1452.

<6> Stanier, Peter, 1989, Dorset's Industrial Heritage (Monograph). SWX1300.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 2K/04722 (Index). SDO14738.

NORTH MILLS

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 2K/07190 (Index). SDO14738.

COPIES OF IMAGES HELD AT THE MUSEUM OF NET MANUFACTURE

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF111624 (Index). SDO14738.

Bridport Project

<10> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/063 South West Textile Mills Project (Unpublished document). SDO17323.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1305799 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 21 2022 4:04PM