Monument record 7791/1/1 - Burton Latimer Watermill

{1}{4}{5} The site has been used for a silk mill, a woollen mill, a cotton mill and a chicory and mustard mill prior to the flour mill erected by Thomas Wallis c.1880 of four-storeys and 9 bays, with distinctive round windows on the upper storey. In the 1930s the mill was purchased by Whitworth Brothers and is now completely surrounded by the modern Weetabix complex.

{2} 1787 The north mill was being used for cotton manufacture and was described as being of stone and slated.
1794 Mills for sale and described as new, very substantial, 60 feet by 30 feet and four stories in height.
C. 1820 An 8 horse power steam engine was installed.
1848 A new five-storey mill was erected in 1848.
1857 Mill was purchased by John Waltis of Kettering, and altered for the manufacture of mustard and chicory.
1876 The main building was completely gutted by fire when only two walls were left standing.
1881 By this time the mill had been rebuilt and was working solely as a flour mill, with eight pairs of stones driven by a 50 horse power steam engine and water power, when it was offered for sale.
1930s After the mill had fallen into disuse it was rented by the British and African Cereal Co. Ltd. For the production of ready-to-eat cereal food they called Weetabix, buying the wheat from Whitworths, of Victoria Mills, Little Irchester.
British and African Cereals soon were in financial trouble, including owing Whitworth’s for the wheat supplied. Consequently they were taken over by Whitworths who made a success of the business. New buildings have continued to be erected to, provide increased production, surrounding the original mill.

Survival: Doubtful, if production developments require additional buildings where former water mill is situated.

Significance: Because of the variety of uses of water power at this site it obviously has considerable significance but the surviving mill building is associated only with the later flour milling activities.

Archaeological potential: There may be underground evidence for the earlier milling activities on this site.

{3} A large corn mill known as Burton Mill was located beside the River Ise and in close proximity to Burton Latimer and Isham Station. This was an extensive site which by 1885 had its own branch line of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The site is now occupied by the Weetabix group and the current buildings do not appear to have utilised the former mill structure.

<1> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, NIAG Industrial Gazetteer, (unchecked) (Draft). SNN101121.

<2> STARMER G., 2002?, Northamptonshire Watermills Survey 2001 - 2002 (A-H), p.17 (checked) (Report). SNN105520.

<3> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Industrial Period, (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN4.

<4> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage Of Northamptonshire, Site 56 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN104759.

<5> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2011, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire (2nd Edition), Site 58 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN107622.

Record last edited

Jul 11 2013 10:21AM