Medway watermills (lower tributaries)

A site close to the source of the Wateringbury Stream shows some characteristic signs of previous use of waterpower.

The mill was demolished by 1907 and the site is today marked by a waterfall at the eastern end of the lakes in the grounds of Mereworth Castle.

It is thought that this mill had a breast shot waterwheel.B, C A stream rises at West Farleigh, and flows into the Medway from the right above Teston Lock.

It had an overshot waterwheel driving three pairs of millstones, and was working until the First World War but subsequently demolished.A[5] This mill was attached to the manor of Pymps Court in the sixteenth century.

The present building dates from c. 1880 and last worked c. 1892, Mrs Marsham, the owner gave notice to the miller that she wished to terminate his tenancy in April 1891.

The seventeenth century structure latterly had a cast iron overshot waterwheel driving pumping machinery, working until the 1960s.

The mill had collapsed by the time Coles Finch visited it and was demolished in 1929, although the waterwheel and pentrough by Weeks of Maidstone survive.D [12][13][14][15]

The previous owners were Thomas Hatche and Richard Austen, who had recently sold the mill at that date.

Seventeenth century millers in Ulcombe include Willia Pettit (1612), Percival Austen (1669), Thomas Sylliborne (1673) and John Baker (1682).

The Crown Wheel drove two layshafts, which powered various machines including a "Ureka" winnower and an oat crusher by Ganz & Co., of Budapest, Hungary.

A possible mill site, a building was marked on a map of Leeds Castle dated 1748 on the island which lies above Keeper's Cottage.

In 1733, Sir Roger Meredith, Baronet, of Leeds Abbey leased land in Hollingbourne to James Whatman with permission to erect a new dwelling house and papermill.

In 1628, Thomas Fludd and Ralphe Buffkin sold the mill to William Cage of Lincoln's Inn, Middlesex.

This mill was built by the Cage family in the late 1820s on a piece of land called Byfrance, part of the Milgate estate.

The mill was sold for house conversion in 1986, at that time only the frame of the waterwheel and pit wheel survived, all other machinery having been removed.

The mill was sold by James Whatman Jr in 1792 to Thomas, Robert and Finch Hollingworth of Maidstone for the substantial sum of £32,000.

Ownership of the mill passed from Thomas Hollingworth through his sons and thence through their nieces until eventually Major William Pitt was the sole owner.

Messrs Bradley, Taylor and Youngman were the millers in 1957, but the mill had ceased to work by water power by then.

[12][13][14][15][27][28][29] The Hollingbourne Stream rises at the foot of the North Downs, and flows for 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) to the River Len.

A mill may have stood on this site since 980, when King Edelstane gave Holyngbourne to Christ Church, Canterbury, and almost certainly since Domesday.

The waterwheel drove three pairs of millstones via two lineshafts, each driven by a 2 feet (610 mm) diameter cast iron gear.

It was in existence during the first half of the eighteenth century, appearing on a map of 1707 which was partly resurveyed in 1746.B A stream rises at Cossington and enters the Medway from the right at Aylesford.

The pond of Weir Mill is roughly square in shape and covers an area of just over ¼ acre.

He was recorded at a manufacturer of brown and white paper in 1832 and Francis Collins joined him in partnership that year.

In 1792 Clement and George Taylor were granted a patent for the use of chlorine for bleaching rags for use in paper manufacture.

James Whatman claimed that he was able to prove that several trials had already been made, including by Mr. Larking, who owned Lower Mill at that time.

Tenants of this corn mill include Edward Smith in 1724, J Whiteing from 1725–43, Thomas Shepard 1744-54, his widow in 1755-6, William Luck in 1757.

The machinery was removed and the building converted into stables by A E Reed & Co. Ltd. the mill was demolished c.1950 but the waterwheel survived until 1969.

This was a corn mill, in the Le Clerke family's ownership for many years, until the last member died in the Battle of Cropredy Bridge.

The mill had fallen into disrepair in the early fourteenth century, but was rebuilt by Bishop Hamo Hethe in 1322.