THE MILLS OF BIRMINGHAM

[madeinbirmingham]

Ray Shill (Birmingham author) has just reminded me of forgotten mills of Birmingham powered by Hockley Brook, The Rea, The Cole and the Stour.

Also Plantsbrook with its source in Sutton Park which powered the wire drawing works at Penns Hall (Penns Mill)

Moe will be added sooon but do you have any information

[sprayerman]

I understand that upstream of Penns Mill on the Plantsbrook or Ebrook there were a total of 11 other mills, the majority of which were in Sutton Park. The trades that these served included cloth fulling, leather dressing, blade mill, spade mill, steel rolling/sawmill, grist milling, corn milling and gun barrel boring.

[fireman]

I remember swimming in Penns Lake which was formerly used as a wire mill.

The amazing fact is that Sutton Parade is the original dam wall of the Town Mill I belive and is the reason there is a dip each side of The Parade

[madeinbirmingham]

I expect Sprayerman will be telling us about Newhall Mill soon!
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JP --- History is just one thing after the other!

[fireman]

Isnt New Hall the only surviving Mill?

[madeinbirmingham]

Sarehole and New Hall are the only surviving Birmingham mills.

Mills are a fascinating industrial subject and were the start of real progress in the chain of events that lead to the industrial revolution.

Sources would seem to suggest that were 70 - 90 mills in the Birmingham area, some were purely for agriculture but many where converted for metal industries.

It would be nice to get a list together, if everyone can contribute.

Heath Mill
Pebble Mill
Salford Mill
Edgbaston Mill
Sarehole Mill
New Hall Mill
Penns Mill
Soho Mill
Triitiford Mill

Thats off the top of my head so only about 80 more to list--any offers?
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JP --- History is just one thing after the other!

[Pink Bluebell]

I can remember playing in the old water mill at Tritiford and at a nearby sandpitt. This must have been in the 50's.

[sprayerman]

Other mills included

Duddeston Mill
Saltley Mill
Digbeth Blade Mill
Hawkesley Mill
Harborne Mill
Wychall Mill
Hazelwell Mill
Dogpool Mill
Hurst Mill
Hay Mill


The list goes on, the above were found from the works compiled by John Morris Jones, please see http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/teacher/history/jm_jones/jmj_rivers/index.htm for more information.

Often we think of mills being used for agricultural pruposes but certainly in and around Birmingham, as well as probably other areas, they were used for industrial purposes too.

Sprayerman

[Pink Bluebell]

[madeinbirmingham]

I understand the last windmill in the area was near Shirley--I vaguley remember seeing the cap after the sails had been removed in the 50s. It was also near Berry Mound at the back of Shirley Station. I never remeber a windmill at Tritord which I think was only ever a water mill
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JP --- History is just one thing after the other!

[Pink Bluebell]

Must have been Earleswood then, it was in the 50's and i've never seen it with sails on. Here there are pleanty with sails and all.

[davidfowler]

Not to forget Bromford Mill

"BROMFORD MILL and ERDINGTON FULLING MILL.

Bromford Mill with its pool stood to the north of the Tame about half a mile below its confluence with the Rea. It was probably the Erdington mill mentioned in Domesday Book. In 1258 the lords of part of Erdington were to repair a mill in Erdington, and in 1285 a stagnum de Bramford was mentioned; Bromford Mill was so called in the 13th century. The mill was mentioned in the court rolls of Erdington in 1333 and in the manorial accounts from 1415-16 onwards. The account of 1455-6 has attached to it a separate account of the expenses incurred in repairing the corn mill at Bromford, the skilled work being done by a John Wheelwright of Lichfield; a new cogwheel was made, the water wheel repaired, buckets and boards added and a floodgate replaced. There was also a fulling mill called a Walkmyln possibly situated at Forge Meadow on the Plants Brook. Bromford Mill was again repaired in 1479-80 and a new mill stone was purchased; the fulling mill was then in a state of complete disrepair. Both Bromford Mill from the 13th century onwards, and the fulling mill from the 15th century onwards, appear to have been held jointly by the lords of Erdington and Pype Hall. Both mills existed in the 16th and early 17th centuries; William Lane (Alane) was for a time miller of Bromford Mill in the 16th century.

Bromford Mill was first mentioned as a forge in 1605. During the first half of the 17th century it was held by the Jennens family and may have been worked in connexion with Aston Furnace. It was called Bromford Mill or Hammer Mill in 1683. In 1746-7 it was leased to two members of the Stour Partnership, Abraham Spooner of Birmingham, merchant, and Edward Knight of Wolverley (Worcs.), ironmaster, who worked it in conjunction with Nechells Park Mill and Aston Furnace. The Spooner family was still associated with it in 1800 and the early 19th century. About 1816 machinery was introduced to press nails. In 1828-9 the mill was occupied by John Bailey & Co., paper makers, and in 1833 and 1845 Abel Rollason was tenant. In the 1850s the Rollasons were said to be metal rollers, but they shared the mill with a firm of wire drawers and they themselves had turned to this trade by 1875. The site was still occupied by the Rollason Wire Co. in 1956."

I wanted to post a map but can't figure it out, sorry.

[madeinbirmingham]

David--excellent post thanks for that--there is some help pages on the forum regarding posting images.

Is the above work attriubutable to you-if it is another author could you mention the name please
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JP --- History is just one thing after the other!