Monument record 2416/35 - Oundle Watermill, Capyll Mill

There was a water mill at Oundle as early as the middle of the 10th century, when the manor was granted to the Abbot of Peterborough by the king. The mill still existed in 1691 and is depicted as a substantial building with two chimneys in 1710 on Buck's engraving of Barnwell castle. By 1810, at Inclosure, the mill had gone, though the weirs were still in existence.

{1} Documentary evidence of former water mill(s) at Oundle. There has been a water mill here as early as the middle of the 10th century. Evidence has been found for mill(s)? up to 1710.

{2}There was a water mill at Oundle as early as the middle of the 10th century, when the manor was granted to the Abbot of Peterborough by the king. The Saxon boundary charter securely locates the mill at the same location it was to occupy for over 800 years, at the point where the boundary left the main river to follow a lesser stream. During the medieval period this was at the south end of Mill Lane next to Barnwell Bridge, but in the 10th century there was no bridge here and so the lane, if it already existed, must have led solely to the watermill.
By 1399 this part of the town was known as Mill End, but during the later 15th century the mill was called Capyll Mill, after the Chapel of St.Thomas which lay at the north end of Mill Lane. The mill dam is recorded in 1565 just to the west of the mill, the channel upstream of the dam being known as the mill pool in 1300-1. At this time the mill pool lay adjacent to an area of pasture owned by the lord. By 1565 a house had been built on a strip of this pasture next to the mill, which belonged to a tenement immediately to the north in Chapel End and which, like the mill, was at that time held by Thomas Simpson.
Immediately to the north of the mill lay a plot of ground called the mill yard, which is mentioned as early as 1471. In the early 14th century there is reference not only to the mill house itself but also to a cottage at the mill, which clearly belonged to the mill. The mill yard may be the site of this cottage for in 1471 the mill yard was described as a toft. In 1516-17 it was in the lord's hands and so yielded no rent. Significantly it is described as a parcel of the lord's waste 36ft long and in width 5 feet held for a rent of 6d and which had previously been enclosed by Henry Lytster to extend the mill site. The pasture strip next to the mill yard is also described as a piece of the lord's waste in 1565. In 1542 the mill yard is still described as a toft, but in 1565 it was 'a peece of great wast ground' which stood at the corner of Mill Lane and Back Lane.In the early 14th century two other cottages lay immediately to the north of the water mill, though they apparently had no connection with it. By 1399, like some other tenements in the town, the two cottages had gone though the two vacant tofts within which they had stood still remained. In 1491-2 they and the tenement immediately to the north were still recorded as empty tofts but in 1542-3 they were termed crofts. This is probably the tenement recorded in 1565 as lying immediately north of the Back Lane.In 1086 the mill was worth 20/- and 250 eels, the latter presumably being taken in the mill leat. In 1125-28 the mill was a tenement with a virgate of open field land attached to it and rendered 40/- and 200 eels. In 1214-22 the mill paid rent of ,11/5/8d and still had attached to it a virgate of open field land which rendered 25/- a year. This was held by Simon the miller who also held another toft with a virgate of land attached. The field land probably became detached from the mill in the later 13th century when the mill was taken in hand, like much of the rest of the demesne, to be managed directly by the lord, as a result of economic changes which caused a similar phase of direct management throughout the country. During this period the manor employed a miller, was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the mill and took profits rather than rent from the mill. Later in the 14th century, again in response to national economic changes, the mill, like other parts of the demesne, was leased out. During the 15th and 16th centuries the leaseholder of the mill was typically the bailiff of the manor.In 1321, for the first time, there is reference to two watermills within the Abbot of Peterborough's manor of Oundle. These were worth 100/- per annum and from them there was a profit of 20/-. It is clear from later documents that these two mills were in fact under one roof, for in 1463 there was an income of £4 from the lease of two watermills called the Chapel Mill. At this time the lease, for a term of 12 years, was held by Richard Oylemaker alias White who was also, under the terms of the lease, responsible for the repair of the mill. By 1471-2 the lease of the two mills called Capyll Mill, held by Richard Leefe, was worth £4/13/4. Leefe still held the mill in 1491-2 though he was now paying £6 per annum. In 1511-12 the lease was worth £6/13/4, as it remained in 1516-17 and in 1539 £6/8/4d when it was held by Alexander Sympson. He still held it in 1542-3, and in 1545-6 the mill was leased for £8 per annum and then in 1546 for £6/8/0. In 1550, and apparently in 1463, the income of the mill included a payment of 20/- for the mill leat. In addition to the payments to the manor the mill also of course made tithe payments to the Rector, which in 1530-1 amounted to 6/- per annum. In 1565 the mill, still comprising two mills under one roof, was held by Thomas Simpson for a rent of £11/01/4d. By 1651 it had been enlarged for there were ‘4 water grise mills under one roof scittuat on the south side of Oundle near Barnwell bridge having a pair of stones, one pair whereof are Black Stones, but only 2 pair of them can grind together being but 2 wheeles.’
Together with the mill there was a parcell of meadow ground called Hobden comprising 3 roods. The mill still existed in 1691 and, for the one and only time, is depicted as a substantial building with two chimneys in 1710 on Buck's engraving of Barnwell castle which shows a prospect of Oundle in the background. By 1810, at Inclosure, the mill had gone, though the weirs were still in existence. The mill site and the adjacent pasture land, as in 1565, belonged to the same person, together with the same tenement in Chapel End, and in 1810, at enclosure, they also held the Mill Holme.
There are five account rolls for the manor of Oundle from the late 13th and early 14th centuries, which give detailed information on repairs to the mill. They show it to have been a thatched building with an upper and a lower room. It is not stated whether the building was constructed wholly of stone or timber, but stone, including freestone, was purchased for repairs to the mill. The base of the mill and the bays before the mill were repaired with board, the trough repaired with timber, while both timber and wood were used to repair the 'sidesplints'. Other repairs were done to the rungs of the mill wheel and to the cogs. Iron was purchased for the upper axle and for binding the mill wheel and the trundle wheel(?). The mill pool itself also underwent repairs. The expenses of the mill also included the purchase of millstones, steel mill picks, oil and other equipment, in addition to the wages of the millerBecause Oundle mill lay on the boundary of the manor there were difficulties in gaining access to repair and alter the mill leat and dam. These were resolved in the late 13th or early 14th century, when landowners in Barnwell parish granted the Abbot an easement across their land and permission to enclose a plot of meadow which lay between their meadow and the river. This was allowed so long as the works on the watercourse did not cause the meadow to flood. It may be for the same reason that in about 1500 there is reference to the payment by the leaseholder of 20/- to lord Wyndesor for the leet to the watermill. As elsewhere, during the medieval period the tenants of the manor of Oundle, who comprised the majority of the households in the town, were required to use the lord's mill to grind their corn, providing the lord with a substantial income. There was however an agreement in circa 1280 whereby those households which had hand mills were allowed to grind their own corn, paying to the lord collectively 10 marks a year for the privilege.
There was an income of eels taken from the mill, in 1086 this is assessed at 250 eels and in 1122 200 eels.
A virgate held with the mill.
The manor employed a miller, was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the mill and took profits rather than rent from the mill. Later in the 14th century, again in response to national economic changes, the mill, like other parts of the demesne, was leased out. During the 15th and 16th centuries the leaseholder of the mill was typically the bailiff of the manor.In 1321, for the first time, there is reference to two watermills within the Abbot of Peterborough's manor of Oundle. These were worth 100/- per annum and from them there was a profit of 20/-. It is clear from later documents that these two mills were in fact under one roof, for in 1463 there was an income of £4 from the lease of two watermills called the Chapel Mill. At this time the lease, for a term of 12 years, was held by Richard Oylemaker alias White who was also, under the terms of the lease, responsible for the repair of the mill.
By 1471-2 the lease of the two mills called Capyll Mill, held by Richard Leefe, was worth £4/13/4. Leefe still held the mill in 1491-2 though he was now paying £6 per annum. In 1511-12 the lease was worth £6/13/4, as it remained in 1516-17 and in 1539 £6/8/4d when it was held by Alexander Sympson. He still held it in 1542-3, and in 1545-6 the mill was leased for £8 per annum and then in 1546 for £6/8/0. In 1550, and apparently in 1463, the income of the mill included a payment of 20/- for the mill leat. In addition to the payments to the manor the mill also of course made tithe payments to the Rector, which in 1530-1 amounted to 6/- per annum. In 1565 the mill, still comprising two mills under one roof, was held by Thomas Simpson for a rent of £11/01/4d. By 1651 it had been enlarged for there were ‘4 water grise mills under one roof scittuat on the south side of Oundle near Barnwell bridge having a pair of stones, one pair whereof are Black Stones, but only 2 pair of them can grind together being but 2 wheeles.’
There are five account rolls for the manor of Oundle from the late 13th and early 14th centuries, which give detailed information on repairs to the mill. They show it to have been a thatched building with an upper and a lower room. It is not stated whether the building was constructed wholly of stone or timber, but stone, including freestone, was purchased for repairs to the mill. The base of the mill and the bays before the mill were repaired with board, the trough repaired with timber, while both timber and wood were used to repair the 'sidesplints'. Other repairs were done to the rungs of the mill wheel and to the cogs. Iron was purchased for the upper axle and for binding the mill wheel and the trundle wheel(?).
In 1125-28 the mill was a tenement with a virgate of open field land attached to it and rendered 40/- and 200 eels. In 1214-22 the mill paid rent of ,11/5/8d and still had attached to it a virgate of open field land which rendered 25/- a year. This was held by Simon the miller who also held another toft with a virgate of land attached. The field land probably became detached from the mill in the later 13th century when the mill was taken in hand, like much of the rest of the demesne, to be managed directly by the lord, as a result of economic changes which caused a similar phase of direct management throughout the country.
The mill still existed in 1691 and, for the one and only time, is depicted as a substantial building with two chimneys in 1710 on Buck's engraving of Barnwell castle which shows a prospect of Oundle in the background. By 1810, at Inclosure, the mill had gone, though the weirs were still in existence.

The mill dam is recorded in 1565 just to the west of the mill, the channel upstream of the dam being known as the mill pool in 1300-1.
The expenses of the mill also included the purchase of millstones, steel mill picks, oil and other equipment, in addition to the wages of the miller because Oundle mill lay on the boundary of the manor there were difficulties in gaining access to repair and alter the mill leat and dam. These were resolved in the late 13th or early 14th century, when landowners in Barnwell parish granted the Abbot an easement across their land and permission to enclose a plot of meadow which lay between their meadow and the river.

There are five account rolls for the manor of Oundle from the late 13th and early 14th centuries, which give detailed information on repairs to the mill. The mill pool itself also underwent repairs. The expenses of the mill also included the purchase of millstones, steel mill picks, oil and other equipment, in addition to the wages of the miller because Oundle mill lay on the boundary of the manor there were difficulties in gaining access to repair and alter the mill leat and dam. These were resolved in the late 13th or early 14th century, when landowners in Barnwell parish granted the Abbot an easement across their land and permission to enclose a plot of meadow which lay between their meadow and the river.

Immediately to the north of the mill lay a plot of ground called the mill yard, which is mentioned as early as 1471. In the early 14th century there is reference not only to the mill house itself but also to a cottage at the mill, which clearly belonged to the mill.

<1> Foard G., 1993, Oundle Water Mill, (unchecked) (Article). SNN40412.

<2> Foard G.; Ballinger J.;, 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle, Section 3.1.2.3 Watermill (checked) (Report). SNN102637.

Record last edited

Jul 13 2021 1:16PM