Monument record 2596 - Warburton Mill

<1> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 75-6/60 Norris J H 1968 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

The mill building, records of which go back to the 14th century, is now surrounded by modern buildings. In the yard adjoining the entrance there are a pair of French burr stones leaning against the wall. They are dated 1853, and were last used in 1910. Francis turbine, made by Escher, Wyss & Co., of Zurich, installed in 1905, and renewed in 1935. The original bevel gears are in use, and the lignum vitae cogs had not, in 1968, been renewed for 53 years. With a 7' head of water, using 4500 cu. Feet of water per minute, they obtain an output of 49h.p. at 66 r.p.m.. The bevel gears increase the speed of the horizontal shaft to 120 r.p.m.. Prior to 1905 there were 2 water wheels, one for high water, and one for normal conditions

<2> Burdett, P. P., 1777, A Survey of the County Palatine of Chester, /XI (Maps and Plans). SCH113.

Marked, by name, on Burdett (source 2), Bryant (source 3) and OS 6" 1st edition (source 4).

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

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1881-2, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 6 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, /17 1881-1882 (Maps and Plans). SCH2474.

<5> Various, Cheshire History, 17/32 Bott O J P 1986 (Journal/Periodical). SCH811.

<6> Various, Written Communication to the HER, /1 Redhead N 1990 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

A deed dated 1469 states that the de Lymms gave half a mill to the de Warburtons. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and is almost certainly of Anglo Saxon origin, and the mill also probably dates to this period.

<7> University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, 2001, Mersey Bollin Catchment: Rapid Archaeological Survey: Stage Three Report: Part 2 (Maps) (Client Report). SCH4387.

Mill possibly documented in late 12th/early 13th century. Standing mill building is late 18th/early 19th century, 4 storeys, brick on stone foundations. Mill sited in bend of the Bollin, crossed by the leat, with a weir and sluice immediately upstream on the river. Mill has recently been renovated for dwellings.

The mill has recently been rebuilt on the original footings and let as furnished accommodation. The tailrace has been landscaped but the weir is extant on the bend of the river. Bollin in flood at the time of the field visit.

<8> University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, 1998, Warburton Mill, Heatley, Cheshire: An Archaeological Building Appraisal of a late water-powered corn mill complex, R2244 (Client Report). SCH4002.

An archaeological building appraisal was undertaken in 1998 of Warburton Mill, Bent Lane, Lymm, Warrington. This comprised a desk based study of the mill building and its landscape context and a visual inspection of the interior and exterior of the building including photographs and measured drawings where required.

The mill buildings date from the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, a period spanning the mechanisation of flour milling which occurred in the late nineteenth century, represented by the transition to steel rollers and the introduction of water turbine technology. The earliest and largest part of the comples to survive is the four storey brick milling building, central to the site. A building is present on this site on all maps from the estate survey map of circa 1757 onwards, however, the design of the mill building and use of cast iron columns as supports indicates a late eighteenth/early nineteenth century date. The complex also also includes a nineteenth century mill house and an ancilliary building of late eighteenth/nineteenth century date; the fabric of both structures indicates more than one phase of build. The rest of the buildings, including hoist, loading bays, storage and grain silo, are of mid-twentieth century date. The mill complex is complete except for a drying kiln. The power system survives in the main mill building and comprises the water turbine and engine; also, externally, the weir and sluice system of the head-race survive.

<9> University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, 1998, Warburton Mill, Heatley, Cheshire: An Archaeological Building Survey of the Mill Complex, Final Report, R2245 (Client Report). SCH4001.

Following on from the building assessment of Warburton Mill complex in 1998 (source 8), a final report assessing the significance of the site was produced. It is considered as a fine example of a late, water-powered corn mill site. Burdett's map of Cheshire published in 1777 show 140 water mills, the majority used for corn milling. However, many of the mills have now been demolished or changed their use and examples of late corn mill sites, with all their buildings and power systems intact, are now rare in the North West, making Warburton Mill unusual in this region. Excavated examples of early mill sites are equally rare both in the region and nationally. A mill in Warburton is documented in the 1200s, making this one of the earliest known instances of a medieval mill site in northern and north-eastern Cheshire.