MSO11099 - Post-medieval mill at Machine Cross (Monument)

The remains of an 18th Century watermill attached to Machine Court. Barn now gutted by fire. A covered wheel pit measured 18 feet and was perhaps an overshot wheel. Long leat from Machine Weir (SS 9341 2817) through the mill to south of Helebridge Weir at SS 9330 2760. Now largely silted up. The mill is known to have been used as a corn mill. [1] Two small buildings are shown at c. SS 9348 2772 on the Tithe Map for Kings Brompton. There is a square building to the south and an L shaped one to the north. They are sited within a small land parcel labelled 1576, described as "barn coutlage barton etc" as part of Hele-Bridge Farm, owned by the Earl of Carnarvon and occupied by William Dobbs. There is no leat depicted on the map. [2] By the time the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map was produced, the site had been much enlarged, with a series of buildings set around the east, south and west sides of a yard having been constructed. It is not clear to what extent these incorporate the remains of those structures shown on the Tithe Map but it seems the mill occupies the west of the court. The weir is clearly depicted on this map. This arrangement is repeated on the 2nd Edition Map. [3,4] The weir and probable mill building are still extant on the 2016 MasterMap data. [5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [6]