MDE11752 - Lethan's or New Mill (Monument)

An unnamed mill on the Ordnance Survey 1 inch map of 1809 is named Lethans's Mill on the Tithe Map of 1840 and New Mill on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey 25" maps. It was severely damaged by the 1952 flood but since renovated.

SS 7012 4719. An unnamed mill is depicted on the 1809 1 inch Ordnance Survey map at the site of the present New Mill buildings [1]. A building is shown here on the 1840 Tithe Map and annotated Lethans's Mill. It is described on the Apportionment as mill offices owned by Rev Thomas Roe and occupied by a William Latham (sic) [2]. The 1887 [3] and 1904 [4] Ordnance Survey maps show the buildings annotated as New Mill. These buildings were severely damaged by the floods of 1952 and left derelict though they have recently been renovated. It is not possible to identify the actual mill itself. Part of the mill leat survives. From the Barbrook to SS 70086 46982 it has been destroyed, presumably in the flood, but from there to the buildings at SS 70115 47199 it is now a dry course, much silted and heavily overgrown by vegetation. It is still traceable (apart from a section of about 20 metres at SS 70104 47145 which has been obliterated) as a terrace about 1.5 metres to 2 metres wide on the east side of a hedge. It is doubtful if the tail race into the Barbrook at the north end of the present renovated building is original. [5] It is believed the miller in 1684 was a Mr Locke. [6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]