Redbournbury Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Redbournbury Mill |
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| Type | Watermill |
| Location | Redbournbury Lane, Redbournbury |
| OS grid reference | TL 11855 10775 |
| Area | Hertfordshire |
| Built | 1780 |
| Owner | Private |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Redbournbury Mill, including front railings | |
| Designated | 27 September 1984 |
| Reference no. | 1175121 |
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Redbournbury Mill is a very old flour mill located in Redbournbury, Hertfordshire, England. People think it was first built around the early 11th century. This mill used to be a watermill, meaning it was powered by the River Ver. Today, it uses a diesel engine to grind flour. It is also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a really important historical site that needs to be protected.
Contents
The Mill's Long History
No one knows exactly when Redbournbury Mill was first built. However, a mill on this exact spot was written about in the Domesday Book in 1086. The Domesday Book was a huge survey ordered by King William the Conqueror to record everything in England. It's possible the mill you see today was built on the foundations of that very old mill.
Early Owners and Names
Around the year 1030, the land where the mill stands was given to the Abbot of St Albans. This was done by wealthy Saxon landowners named Aegelwyne le Swarte and Wynfreda. The mill was likely part of this land and became owned by the Abbey. The farmhouse nearby was used by the Abbot's Chamberlain, who was an important official. Because of this, the mill was often called Chamberlain's Mill. A deep ford, which is a shallow place to cross a river, is located near the mill on the River Ver.
Around 1290, Chamberlain's Mill sadly burned down. The fire was so big it threatened the whole area. Luckily, the local woods helped to protect the rest of the land.
Royal Connections
More records about the mill started appearing from the mid-Tudor period onwards. During the time of King Henry VIII, the Abbey of St Albans was closed down. All its lands, including the mill, were taken by the King. After King Henry VIII died, the mill was passed to his daughter, Princess Elizabeth. When Elizabeth I passed away, the land went to the next king, James I.
King James I then leased the mill, which was now called "Redbourne Greate Mill," to different private renters. In 1652, a lawyer and politician named Sir Harbottle Grimston bought the mill for £200. He also bought a large house called Old Gorhambury House. This made the mill part of the Gorhambury Estate. The Grimston family became very important in the area. They were later given the title of Earl of Verulam.
Mill Improvements and Unique Features
Not much is known about the mill for the next 200 years, except that it was improved over time. One special improvement was the installation of three millstones in a straight line. Usually, millstones are arranged in a circle around a central gear. This "in line" setup is very rare in the United Kingdom and is the only known example in the county. The mill building that stands today was built around 1780.
The Hawkins Family Millers
In 1841, the mill was rented by Edward Hawkins. His family continued to run the mill for 144 years, with only a short break. Edward's great-granddaughter, Ivy Hawkins, was the last of her family to work at Redbournbury Mill. Ivy started milling in 1916 when she was 19. She lived at the mill until 1985.
Ivy's father, Henry, died in 1932, leaving the mill to his wife Julia and Ivy. A few years later, in 1936, much of the Gorhambury Estate was sold. The mill's ownership went back to the Crown, meaning it belonged to the King or Queen. Even with this change, Ivy and Julia continued to rent and operate the mill.
After her mother died in 1944, Ivy had an interesting career. In 1956, she got stuck in the waterwheel for over an hour while trying to fix it! She was trapped between a spoke and the outer wheel, with the weight of the water pushing down. Luckily, Ivy was rescued and, after a short hospital stay, she was fine. Three years later, in 1959, Ivy became famous when The Times newspaper wrote an article calling her "Britain's only lady miller."
Changing Power for the Mill
It's not clear when the River Ver stopped being strong enough to power the mill on its own. But by the early 1900s, an engine (either steam or gas) was added to help. There aren't many records about this engine because it was taken apart in 1915 during World War I. Even though the river wasn't strong enough for milling, the waterwheel could still turn. Ivy Hawkins used it to power her circular saw until the 1970s.
Revival and Modern Day
After Ivy Hawkins left the mill in 1985, the Crown Estate put Redbournbury up for sale. In 1987, the James family bought it. They were the only buyers who wanted to bring the mill back to life. It hadn't been used for milling since the 1950s.
English Heritage, a group that protects historical sites, offered the James family a large grant to help with the restoration. They also upgraded the mill's status to Grade II* listed. This meant both the mill and the house were now highly protected historical buildings.
The Fire and Restoration
Just a few days after renovations started, on August 22, 1987, a fire broke out in the mill's roof. The fire quickly spread and destroyed most of the inside of the mill and the upstairs of the house. Luckily, the mill's main gears were saved. This was important because it meant the mill could still be fully restored.
The restoration project took ten years to finish. During this time, a Crossley diesel engine was fully repaired and installed. This engine hadn't been used for about 30 years. It had been kept in an enthusiast's garden and was once used at a water pumping station. A diesel engine was needed because the River Ver today doesn't flow as strongly as it used to. It doesn't have enough power to turn the waterwheel and grind flour.
Redbournbury Bakery and Local Products
In 2005, a bakery was built in one of the old barns at the front of the mill. It opened to the public in July 2006. The bakery is open on Saturday mornings and sells many kinds of breads and cakes. All of these are made using flour that is ground right there in the mill.
Volunteers from Redbournbury Mill also sell products at farmers markets in nearby towns like Harpenden, Kings Langley, and St Albans. The bakery is currently managed by a baker named Steven Mansbridge. The grains used to make Redbournbury flour are grown very close by at Hammonds End farm in Harpenden. This means that Redbournbury products have very low "food miles," which is how far food travels from where it's made to where it's sold. Hammonds End is less than 2 miles from the mill!
Mill on TV!
Since 2013, Redbournbury Mill has appeared on several television shows.
- In 2013, famous baker Paul Hollywood visited the mill for his BBC Two show Paul Hollywood's Bread.
- In 2016, his Great British Bake Off co-host Mary Berry also visited. She came for her "Easter Feast" program to learn about the Alban bun, which some people think was an early version of the Hot cross bun.
- Chef Jay Rayner had also visited the mill in 2013. He learned about the Alban bun for a segment on BBC One's The One Show.
