Medway watermills (upper tributaries)
[1] A stream flows through East Grinstead, and enters from the left bank shortly before Brambletye Mill.
The mill was demolished in the early years of the twentieth century, and the site was marked in 1932 by the sluice gate.
[Note 1] [3] A stream flows through Hartfield, entering the Medway from the left bank downstream of the B2026 bridge.
The mill is now a small hotel, and was featured in the 1995 film Carrington starring Emma Thompson and Jonathan Pryce.
[Note 1] [6][9][10][11] The Warren Brook rises below Crowborough Beacon and enters the Medway from the right bank downstream of the Hartfield Stream.
In 1598, Thomas Tailor held Newbridge Mill, recorded as having two watermills under one roof at £6 annual rental.
The forge was sold to John Baker in 1617, with tenant Richard Maynard, who left his half share in Birchden and Hamsell furnaces to his son-in-law in 1619.
It was recorded on a 1797 1" to 1-mile (1.6 km) map of Sussex by William Gardner and Thomas Gream as at Moat Mill Common.
[23][24][25][27] A stream rises south of Tunbridge Wells and flows in a westerly direction, entering the Medway from the right bank downstream of the Waterdown Forest Brook.
This forge was recorded as "Hughes Hale", it was owned by Lord Abergavenny in 1568, when it was leased for six years to James Ellis of Penshurst.
This mill was demolished c.1910 and ruins remained in 1933 and 1939 It appears to have had two pairs of millstones, the upright shaft was wooden.
In 2008, two planning applications were made for conversion of the mill to residential use but retaining the main machinery.
The 1868 ordnance survey map identifies the site of this pre-conquest mill from the position of its sluice.
In full working order the current wheel produced about 11 horsepower (8.2 kW), rotating at 8 r.p.m.
The present corn mill building dates to the early nineteenth century, but incorporates parts of an older structure.
The waterwheel was used to work ancillary machinery until 1968, when the cast iron pit wheel was broken in the floods of that year.
On 28 January 1589 Evelyn was granted a wide-ranging royal licence to explore for saltpetre, a principal ingredient, and his mills at Godstone were the most important in the country.
An unexecuted lease of 1743 mentions that the miller has permission to take timber for the purpose of making charcoal (used in the smelting of iron).
The site remained in the ownership of the Gage family until 1745, when Colonel Edward Evelyn bought it.
The next known millers were Messrs Stenning, Lock and Stone are recorded as paying rent for the Mill at Hedgecourt.
Saunders was still at the mill in 1855 when it was sold by Lady Selina Charlotte, Viscountess Milton to George Gatty.
At that time the mill had an 11 feet (3.35 m) diameter overshot waterwheel driving two pairs of millstones.
In 1672, woodland next to the pond was referred to as "Hammerwood" also known as "Wire Wood" thus indicating a drawing mill.
Edward Raby died in 1771, and the forge was taken over by his son Alexander until 1774, when the Government forced him to give up Woodcock furnace in a wrangle over the size of his moulds.
Saunders left in 1840 to take Hedgecourt Mill and William Brand joined Jenner.
In 1986 the mill was again sold, and although damaged by a fire during renovations reopened as a restaurant in September of that year.
[62] A planning application to demolish the "historic old tannery" was made in 1996 and the site is now a small housing development.
[65] A mill was on this site in 1241, when Stephen the miller held it of William de Adburton at a rent of 11s annually.
Possibly the site of the Hever mill mentioned in 1279, when Roland, son of Peter de Broke, attempting to "twirl the wheel" was dragged into the cogs and crushed to death.
A Domesday site, this corn mill was powered supplied by a pond fed by a stream.
