Monument record 1270/1 - Evenley Watermill

At Domesday in 1086 there was at least one mill at Evenley. Archaeological excavation has identified a possible medieval mill leat. A later mill was probably built in the 16th/17th century but it appears to have gone out of use in the 19th century.

{1} Corn mill, no surviving evidence above ground. On River Ouse close to what used to be known as Mill Ford. In 1694 the miller was William Swetman of Evenley. In 1788 John Smith of Evenley Mill insured his dwelling, mill, millhouse, stable and adjoining pigsties. Marked on Eyres map of 1779. Since the ground does not appear to have been disturbed since the demolition of the mill, it is possible that there is below-ground survival.

{2} Confirmation of the location of the mill was obtained with reference to the 1810 provisional OS map and the c.1870 Evenley Award map. The mill and mill-leat are post medieval in date although there is the possibility that a medieval mill may have occupied the same site. There is documentary evidence for three medieval mills in Evenley and their locations are unknown.

{3} Archaeological excavation established that the linear channel crossing the field is the mill-race of the post-medieval watermill (HER No 1270/1/1), although no evidence of any of the mill buildings were found- map evidence suggests these lie to the west of the excavation area.
The earliest activity was two medieval ditches and tentative evidence for a medieval mill-race that was almost entirely destroyed by the later mill. Evenley mill was probably built in the 16th/17th century. The mill race was 5m wide and 2m deep and on its south side were the remains of a revetment wall that dates to the late 17th or 18th century. Excavated evidence suggests that the mill fell out of use in the early 19th century and the mill race deliberately backfilled.

{6} It is possible that the Hospital built a second water mill in the Old Town for in 1260-5 there is reference to the ‘upper mill’ of the hospital, near Banland. This is probably the malt mill by le Banlonde in 1270.

<1> STARMER G., 2002?, Northamptonshire Watermills Survey 2001 - 2002 (A-H), p.51 (checked) (Report). SNN105520.

<2> Carlyle, S., 2009, Archaeological evaluation for the Deanshanger to Greatworth AWS Pipeline near Evenley, Northamptonshire, August 2009, p.7 (checked) (Report). SNN106534.

<3> Carlyle, S., 2010, AWS Deanshanger to Greatworth Pipeline: Excavation on the Site of Evenley Mill, Evenley, October 2009, p.10 (checked) (Report). SNN106787.

<4> Courtney, P. & Pearce, J. (Eds.), 2011, Post-Medieval Archaeology (45 pt2), 45 pt 2 p.411 (checked) (Journal). SNN109091.

<5> Chapman, P., 2011, A desk-based assessment of land south of Turweston Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN108142.

<6> Ballinger J.; Foard G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Brackley, Section 3.1.2.5 Water Mills, Old Town Mill (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100499.

<7> Ballinger J.; Foard G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Brackley, (unchecked) (Report). SNN106655.

Record last edited

Oct 7 2020 4:24PM