Building record 3619/6/1 - Isham Watermill

The watermill at Isham was in use as a paper mill in 1820, as a silk mill by 1827 and carpet mill by 1834 when it and two cottages were destroyed. By 1849 a new three-storey mill had been erected and in 1860 it was again used as a flour mill. Flour milling had ceased by 1930s and it was used for gristing (animal food).

{1} By the 16th century a fulling mill had been added to the original corn mill. In the early 18th century it was entirely used for fulling but from c.1750 until c.1820, paper was made in the mill. For a short time it operated as a silk mill but in 1834 when in use as a carpet mill it was destroyed by fire. After rebuilding, the waterwheel was augmented by a steam engine for worsted spinning. From about 1855 until shortly after 1930 the mill was used for flour milling and then for gristing.
The mill building was of stone with a ridge pantiled roof. Although demolished some years ago the stone wall of the downstream side of the mill survives up to a height of about 10 feet, the openings for doors and windows being bricked up. Also surviving is the two storey brick warehouse across the footpath by the mill. There are few windows except on the side facing the water but in the other side and in the gable end facing the mill are iron sliding doors. The slate roof has almost gone.

{2} Industry type: Corn milling; fulling cloth; papermaking; silk spinning; carpet manufacture.

History:
1086 Domesday survey records Isham with one mill rendering 10s.
1108 Reference to a mill called Gricche at Isham
c.1591 Reference to one water-cornmill and one fulling mill.
1646-8 Lease of Holdenby estate, Isham, including mills.
1756 ‘A compleat paper mill at Isham for sale.
1820 Paper water mill at Isham advertised for sale, suggesting it may be changed back to a corn mill.
1827 Burton and Isham silk mills for sale, containing altogether nearly 12,000 spindles.
1834 lsham carpet mills and two cottages destroyed by with an estimated loss of over £3000.
1849 Isham mill described as a three storey mill, newly erected, with spinning room, new waterwheel, steam engine and new boiler.
1855 Mill found to be ‘in a wretchedly dilapidated state.’
1860 Again a flour mill.
1864 Steam and water mills at Isham to let.
1864-1910 George Randall, miller at Isham.
1911 Freehold steam and water mill at Isham for sale, containing roller milling plant and five pairs of stones.
1930s Flour making had ceased and mill was used for gristing (animal food)
1948 Mill in derelict condition when purchased by Mr. Howe.
1994 Warehouse set on fire by vandals but put out by fire brigade before much damage was done.
1998 Half the slates were illegally removed from warehouse.

Documentary sources: Eyre & Jefferys’ 1791 map shows mill, un-named; OS survey plan of 1819, Bryant’s 1827 map, and 1834 1 inch OS map marks lsham Mill; and a diagram of 1842 concerning fishing rights shows it as Clarke’s Mill.
1834 lsham carpet mills and two cottages destroyed by with an estimated loss of over £3000.
1849 Isham mill described as a three storey mill, newly erected, with spinning room, new waterwheel, steam engine and new boiler.
1855 Mill found to be ‘in a wretchedly dilapidated state.’
1911 Freehold steam and water mill at Isham for sale, containing roller milling plant and five pairs of stones.
1948 Mill in derelict condition when purchased by Mr. Howe.
1994 Warehouse set on fire by vandals but put out by fire brigade before much damage was done.
1998 Half the slates were illegally removed from warehouse.
2000: Only the lower wall of the south side of the mill survives. It is of banded Northampton sand ironstone and limestone, with brick filling of all door and window openings. In recent years this has been the main wall of a lean-to shed. Across the track, at the east end of the mill, is a two-storey brick but roofless building. Its axis is at right angles to that of the mill. The gable end facing the mill and the east-facing side, each have large sliding iron doors but no windows. Only the west side, alongside the former tail-pond of the mill, has windows: three on the ground floor and two on the first floor. Each has curved top cast iron frames, of five lights wide and four lights high. The limited fenestration and the heavy iron doors suggest this was a warehouse associated with the mill’s textile manufacturing era.

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

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

<2> STARMER G., 2002?, Northamptonshire Watermills Survey 2001 - 2002 (H-Z), p.67-7 (checked) (Report). SNN105521.

<2> STARMER G., 2002?, Northamptonshire Watermills Survey 2001 - 2002 (H-Z), p.76-7 (checked) (Report). SNN105521.

Record last edited

Oct 15 2020 3:52PM