Monument record MWX173 - East Mill, East Road, Bridport

Water powered corn mill built in the early 19th century and continued in use into the 1950s. Later the building was gutted and converted to a dwelling. The water arrangements survive. The mill has no known connection with textiles.

East Mill was a water-powered corn mill built in the early 19th century (1) (2). The mill is depicted on the Tithe map with sluices, mill race, mill pond etc (3). The arrangement of buildings, is different to that shown on the 1887, 1902 & 1930 Ordnance Survey 25-inch maps, where it is labelled ‘East Mill (corn)’, with the mill buildings, sluice, and outbuildings much as they are at present (4) (5) (6). An 8ft diameter waterwheel 18ft wide was installed in 1865 by John Pitfield (12).

John Kerslake was miller in the 1820s-1840s (7) (3). He is listed in the 1832 Pigot trade directory and the Tithe apportionment of 1845 gives John Kerslake as the owner and occupier and the property is described as ‘House, Offices, Mills & Garden’ (3). The trade directories record William Swatridge, miller, corn merchant & importer at East Mill in 1855 (8); in 1859 the miller is John Pitfield (9); in 1875, William Garland (10); and in 1889 John Fowler (11). East Mill is not mentioned in directories after this date. The Fowler family ran it into the 1940s and the ceased to operate some time before 1956 (12).

The mill was gutted and converted into dwellings. The mill and outhouses are Grade II Listed. The water arrangements survive.

<1> Bone, M R, 1985, 'The Bridport Flax and Hemp Industry' Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society Journal (Article in serial). SWX1452.

<2> Bone M, 1985, Photographic Collection, Bone, Michael, 1985 (Photograph). SWX1451.

<3> James, R, 1845, Bradpole Tithe Map (Map). SDO10515.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1890, Dorset Sheet XXXVIII.10 (Map). SDO10516.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1902, Dorset Sheet XXXVIII.10 (Map). SDO10517.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1930, Dorset Sheet XXXVIII.10 (Map). SDO10518.

<7> Pigot & Co, 1823-4, Pigot's Directory of Dorsetshire (Monograph). SDO10536.

<7> 1855, Post Office Directory of Dorsetshire, 16 (Monograph). SDO10483.

<9> 1859, Post Office Directory of Dorsetshire, 594 (Monograph). SDO10523.

<10> Kelly, E R (ed), 1875, Post Office Directory of Hampshire, including the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire & Dorsetshire, 594 (Monograph). SDO10524.

<11> Kelly's Directories Ltd, 1889, Kelly's Directory of Dorsetshire, 1185 (Serial). SDO10505.

<12> Sims, R, 1998, The Mills of Bridport (Monograph). SDO10535.

<13> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/063 South West Textile Mills Project (Unpublished document). SDO17323.

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1305037 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 19 2022 3:14PM