The implementation of the act resulted in the destruction of large numbers of such structures between 1535 and 1539, with the king himself suffering a loss of income when his own mills and weirs were destroyed.

The commission of sewers for Hampshire was set up on 28 January 1535, and demolition of mills on the River Itchen started in mid- or late-1535.

[4] The mayor and citizens of Winchester wrote to Cromwell in 1536 to express their thanks that young salmon were once again appearing in the river, and that areas of land which had previously been flooded were now dry.

However, not everyone was keen on the measures, with the letter noting that the Bishop of Winchester was unhappy about the destruction of his installation at Woodmill, and that there was opposition to carrying out the objects of the act in Hampshire by "the great lords and their officials".

[5] This approach was relatively short-lived, with officials at Hereford Cathedral and residents of the city asking Parliament to allow them to rebuild four mills in 1555, as their destruction had caused unemployment and poverty.