Stour watermills

The River Stour has been used for centuries as a source of power. Many different processes were performed by the use of water power:- Corn milling, fulling, paper making and electricity generation. Many of the mills survive today as house conversions, with two of them still working commercially.

Upper Great Stour

The upper reaches of the Great Stour powered eight watermills, with a further two on tributaries.

Bayton Mill, Lenham

TQ 903 503 51°13′12″N 0°43′26″E / 51.220°N 0.724°E / 51.220; 0.724 (Bayton Mill, Lenham)

This corn mill in Lenham is the only one that was powered by the Upper Great Stour, the other watermills in Lenham were powered by the River Len. The mill building has been converted to residential use, devoid of machinery. It had a breast shot waterwheel.

Bowley Mill, Boughton Malherbe

TQ 902 496 51°12′50″N 0°43′19″E / 51.214°N 0.722°E / 51.214; 0.722 (Bowley Mill, Boughton Malherbe)

This corn mill in Boughton Malherbe is now a derelict ruin, with the remains of the ground floor, waterwheel and some machinery remaining. The waterwheel was overshot, some 12 feet (3.66 m) diameter and 6 feet (1.83 m) wide, carried on a 8 inches (200 mm) diameter cast iron axle. The Pit Wheel is of cast iron, and had 96 cogs. The Upright Shaft was wood, as was the clasp arm Great Spur Wheel, which drove three pairs of millstones. The mill building was 30 feet (9.14 m) by 15 feet (4.57 m) in plan, and new machinery was installed in 1881. The upper floors of the mill were pulled down in the 1960s as they had become unsafe.