The House Mill at Three Mills

Located on the River Lea in Mill Meads, the House Mill is a former tide mill and part of the Three Mills complex. While the original tidal mills at this site were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and were owned by Stratford Langthorne Abbey until the Reformation of the 16th century, the present structure was built in 1776 by Daniel Bisson. The building is a Grade I listed industrial structure thought to be the largest tidal mill standing in Britain.

The mill was damaged by fire in 1802 and subsequently rebuilt by Philip Metcalfe. Much of its original machinery remains in situ, including four waterwheels. Three of these wheels are 20 feet in diameter and produced around 20 to 25 horsepower, while the wheel at the western end is 8 feet wide and produced around 40 to 45 horsepower. Although these wheels are no longer operational, they remain a significant part of the site's industrial heritage.

The three-storey building features a steeply pitched slate roof with two additional storeys and is constructed primarily of timber. The ground floor features a concrete floor and cast iron supporting pillars. The south facade displays a coat of arms dated 1776 with the initials "DSB" and forty cast iron wall plates. The mill eventually stopped operating and was used as a warehouse.

Adjacent to the mill, the Miller's House and a house on the other side were originally built for the Miller and his family. A Second World War bomb hit a nearby bonded warehouse on 15 October 1940, damaging both houses, which were later demolished. In 1995, the Miller's House was rebuilt with a modern interior while retaining the original facade.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons