Monument record 1272/2 - Site of Rostherne or Cicely Mill

<1> Burdett, P. P., 1777, A Survey of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH113.

This map depicts a watermill to the immediate north of Cicely Mill Lane, where the lane crosses the Rostherne Brook.

<2> Greenwood, C. & Greenwood J., 1819, Map of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH2115.

This map depicts a watermill to the immediate north of Cicely Mill Lane, where the lane crosses the Rostherne Brook. It is labelled Mill.

<3> Bryant, A., 1831, Map of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH2114.

This map depicts a building to the immediate north of the lane and one to the south. There is a label nearby for Rostherne Mill. To the south of the lane are two stream channels which diverge from a point to the south.

<4> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 343/2, 1848 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

This map depicts a building at the site of the mill depicted on the earlier maps. It is described as a building and yard. To the south of the lane, the stream channel is very straight, possibly suggesting it is an artificial watercourse.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ7383, 1876-1877 (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

The straight watercourse depicted on the tithe map (see 4) is associated with a north-south aligned earthwork on its western side. North of the lane is a second short watercourse which joins the brook a little further to the north.

<6> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, Composite 1m DTM (Digital Archive). SCH7819.

A sub rectangular negative earthwork is clearly visible to the south of the lane and the mill site depicted on historic maps. The feature is c.170 metres long and between 45 metres and 24 metres wide.

<7> Bott O J P, 1983, Cornmill sites in Cheshire 1066-1850 Part 2, p.64 (Article in Journal). SCH6105.

A watermill site on the north-east side of the Bucklow Hill – Rostherne road. First documentary reference 1432.

<8> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Edwards R, 22/02/2022 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

The evidence suggests that the mill building was located on the mill dam, with Cicely Mill Lane also running along the dam. The mill pond survives as an earthwork to the south (see 6). The map evidence would suggest that the pond had silted up by the beginning of the nineteenth century, suggesting that the mill was no longer operating. However, the additional channel depicted on and Bryant’s map (see 3), may suggest the mill is utilising a feeder channel drawing water from a higher point in the course of Rostherne Brook. The building depicted on the 1848 tithe map (see 6) may be the mill building, but this appears to have been largely demolished by 1876-7 (see 5).