Site Event/Activity record ECH3865 - Twibells Yard and Old Smithy Garage, Mobberley: An Archaeological Watching Brief

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken in 2001 at Twibells Yard and Old Smithy Garage, Mill Lane, Mobberley. Twibells Yard is the site of Mobberley mill, a water-powered corn mill with origins potentially iun the medieval period. In circa 1820, it was rebuilt as a substantial textile mill and then went through a variety of uses before being demolished in 1891. The watching brief recorded two substantial brick, barrel-vaulted culverts. One in the southern half of the site coincided with the tailrace of the circa 1820 mill. The other lay in the northern half of the site and was identified as the tail race built to serve a new wheelhouse added at the north end of the mill in the early 1850s. Remains of that wheelhouse were exposed, together with part of the west foundation wall of the circa 1820 mill. Drains, a stone-capped culvert, and a brick barrel-vaulted catchment were also uncovered. However, no remains associated with an earlier mill were identified. (1)