Sea Walls to Mill Pond

The sea walls to the mill pond at St Issey Sea Mills are likely from the 18th century, although they may have earlier origins. These walls are made of pitched slate stone rubble and enclose a roughly circular mill pond that covers about four and a half acres in the estuary of a tributary of the River Camel. Originally, the sluices were located on the northeast side of the mill pond, and the mill, which has since been demolished, stood on a pier beyond the site of the slip, quay, and retaining walls at Sea Mills. The first mention of a grist mill at Sea Mills dates back to 1675. In 1810, 1816, and 1846, a three-storey stone building was offered for sale. The mill ceased operations in 1899 when the Padstow railway viaduct was built across the estuary, which restricted the flow of water to the mill pond and limited access for cargo ships to the mill.