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 This tour was organised and led by Peter Hill
Some of the members of the Hampshire Mills Group joined us for the tour, which made it all the more interesting.
Report by Robin Jones
DURFORD ABBEY FARM WHEEL O.S. 197 ref. 778 234
Members and friends assembled at Durford Abbey Farm, just in Sussex near the Hampshire border in the valley of the western River Rother. The purpose of our visit was to view the Durford Abbey Farm Wheel, a 12 foot diameter undershot waterwheel, which powered a threshing machine and other machinery 180 feet away in a large barn. However the first problem was to find the wheel, which was eventually achieved by hacking away at the undergrowth of nettles and alder trees at the bottom of a sloping grass field below the barn. After some determination by a number of members, the rusty wheel was exposed and the gearing to the shafting, which ran for a length of 158 feet in an underground brick housing, could be seen. The shaft terminated outside of a door midway along the length of the barn where a pulley would have transmitted the power by a belt to a lay shaft in the roof of the 8 bay barn. This was clearly visible within the barn, which members were able to see after negotiating a tractor and putting on the lights. The wheel, now clear of vegetation was constructed by Weyman & Co. of Guildford.
LONG PARISH WATERMILL  O.S. 185 ref. 441 448
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| Longparish Watermill - Photograph : Hampshire Mills Group / Tony Yoward |
Located on the River Test, the present mill at Longparish was built in the 1870s and consists of a three storey brick building in two sections. Recent restoration work included the refurbishment of the internal 10 foot wide undershot waterwheel, which was turning, the wheel pit, wallower and spur wheels. The eel trap adjacent to the waterwheel had also been restored, but was difficult to see due to the poor light. Four pairs of millstones could be seen on the first floor, one of which was made by the Gloucester Millstone Manufactory, these words being cast into the ring of the millstone. Other machinery on this floor included a Bamford Crusher, made in Uttoxeter, painted light blue, and a Smutter machine.
WHITCHURCH SILK MILL O.S. 185 ref. 463 479
This mill is a three storey building located on Frog Island in the River Test. It was originally operated by a breast shot waterwheel housed in a weatherboarded unit at one end of the building, and it is still possible to power the mill by this method. Some members had picnic lunches, but I had a snack in the first floor tea room at the mill. When sufficient numbers had arrived, the first of two groups were given a guided tour of the mill. I was in the first group and our guide Deborah showed a five minute introductory video before going to see the waterwheel, which was turning. However on entering the building, it was observed that although the pit wheel, wallower and shafting with various pulleys were in place to drive the various looms on the three floors, repair work was being carried out on the teeth of the wallower. When repaired, the looms can be run by water power, although electricity has been used since 1948. Deborah gave a very interesting and informative guided tour explaining the processes involved in silk production. Briefly the silkworm, whose main food is mulberry leaves, produces a cocoon of silk around itself. It is from this cocoon that the silk is taken for throwing, a term which involves several processes such as winding, cleaning and spinning. The cocoons at Whitchurch are imported from China and I remember seeing the early process of the silkworm cycle when I visited a silk embroidery factory at Suzhou in Jiangsu Province a few miles west of Shanghai last year. It is unfortunate that the silkworms die in their cocoons during the silk production process. On the ground floor we were able to see weaving taking place where banners for Winchester Cathedral were being made. Most of the silks made at Whitchurch are for theatrical costumes and at the end of the tour a number of silk samples of different designs were seen.
Click here to visit the web site of Whitchurch Silk Mill
CRUX EASTON WIND ENGINE O.S. 174 ref. 425 564
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This is a Simplex self regulating gear wind engine, which was manufactured at the Woodcock Iron Works of John Wallace Titt in Warminster. Originally constructed in 1891/2, the 20 foot diameter wind wheel has 48 canvas sails each one being 5 feet long. The wind wheel is surmounted on a 32 foot high skeletal steel tower.
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The wheel was turning when we arrived at the site, which included the wind wheel and the adjacent two storey brick building. The building at one time housed a pump and a single pair of stones. Water was pumped by the action of the wind wheel from the 300 foot deep well shaft to supply the local Manor House and surrounding farms and cottages. The wind engine was restored with the help of grants from many organisations including the Heritage Lottery Fund. The refurbishment of the tower and wind wheel was carried out by the British Engineerium in Hove. The fan tail enables the engine to turn into the wind and the canvas sails are also adjustable to allow for variations in the strength of the wind. Tony Yoward, one of our members and a member of the Hampshire Mills Group was able to demonstrate this which stimulated discussion amongst those present to fully understand what parts were moving to achieve the desired result. On the first floor of the building was a display about the wind engine and also three cabinets of de Havilland model aircraft. The connection here is that Charles de Havilland was Rector of Crux Easton from 1897 to 1920 and one of his five children, Geoffrey de Havilland was the founder of the de Havilland aircraft company that was formed in 1920. The aircraft models included the DHC 2 Beaver, the Chipmunk and the Dragon Rapide. On returning to the ground floor of the building and with the aid of a lamp, it was possible to see down the deep well shaft.
LONGBRIDGE WATERMILL O.S. 186 ref. 683 584
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| Longbridge Watermill - Photographs : Hampshire Mills Group / Tony Yoward |
Longbridge Watermill is now adjacent and forming part of the Brewers Fayre restaurant at Sherfield on Loddon, 5 miles north of Basingstoke on the A33 road to Reading. Part of the present timber framed building dates from the latter part of the 16th or early 17th century. In 1996, permission was granted to build a restaurant and public house on the site, providing the mill was restored to full working order. Chiltern Partnership, now I.J.P., carried out the restoration and in 1977 the Visitor Centre opened. Inside we saw the waterwheel turning and on the stone floor above milling was in progress, being carried out by a member of the Hampshire Mills Group. There were two sets of stairs to the stone floor, one by way of the restaurant and a narrower steeper approach by stairs within the mill. I had already visited this mill a few years ago when it was owned by Mill House Inns, the company who purchased it in 1996 after it had been abandoned following a disastrous fire in 1991. This is a good example of a working watermill with various displays and information on show providing a history of the mill and milling in general.
I am sure all the members and friends on the tour found it was again up to the high standard always expected when Peter Hill organises our annual out of county mills tour, which was much appreciated.
This tour was particularly interesting as we visited two of the more unusual applications of water power, and also a wind engine, which are gradually disappearing from the landscape. Also we would like to thank all the establishments we visited for making us welcome and the members of the Hampshire Mills Group for their help.
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