Waterloo Mill

Waterloo Mill

A disused water-powered corn mill built in 1861, replacing an earlier mill that stood to the south-west. The complex comprises the main corn mill building, a second mill building dating from between 1861 and 1877 (possibly a storehouse), and a wheel house of the same period. It is possible that the corn mill was either heightened or partially rebuilt between 1861 and 1887. A mill house of later 19th-century date stands about 20 metres to the west, with further outbuildings of the same period about 23 metres to the rear. Later 20th-century additions include a cart-shed attached to the north-west elevation of the corn mill and a cattle-shed attached to the rear of the second mill building.

The two principal mill buildings are constructed of coursed stone rubble and brick with gabled slate roofs. They are connected by a weatherboarded catwalk.

The corn mill presents a four-storey elevation in two bays to the north-west, facing the B4360. The alternating quoins differ between the lower and upper storeys, with those to the upper two storeys being substantially more crisply cut, suggesting either a later heightening of the original 1861 building or reuse of material from the earlier mill. This is further supported by the construction of the north-east and south-east elevations, where the lower two storeys are of coursed rubble and the upper two storeys are of brick. Windows throughout feature cambered heads except where otherwise indicated. Each floor of the principal elevation contains a plank and batten taking-in door to the left bay and a three-light casement window to the right bay; the upper storey openings are flat-headed. A dentilled brick cornice runs across the top of the building. The north-east elevation has taking-in doors to each floor; those to the first two floors are now blocked whilst that to the third floor retains its plank and batten door. The rear (south-east) elevation contains a two-light barred window at ground floor flanked by flat-headed doorways with plank and batten doors. The first floor has a window opening, the second floor has a blocked taking-in door and a two-light casement window, and the third floor has a flat-headed two-light casement window. The south-east elevation's first floor retains a flat-headed plank and batten taking-in door and three-light casement window; the upper floors have been obscured by the catwalk but the lower section of a second floor taking-in door remains visible.

Adjoining the north-east elevation is a single-storey wheel house, probably added between 1861 and 1877, constructed from brick with a corrugated-iron roof. It houses a cast-iron undershot waterwheel bearing the inscription R. R. MILES / LEOMINSTER / 1861 in raised cast lettering, together with a pitwheel and pinion.

The ground (meal) floor of the corn mill contains an intact layshaft gearing system housed in a wooden Hurst frame. The first (stone) floor contains three millstones and the upright shaft and crown wheel of the gearing system. The upper two storeys were not accessible at the time of survey.

The second mill building is of three storeys and was probably added between 1861 and 1877 as a storehouse. The right-hand section stands over a watercourse flowing through two segmental-arched culverts. The principal (north-west) elevation contains, from left to right at ground floor, a flat-headed window, a cartway, a pedestrian doorway and a barred window opening; the last three are cambered-headed. A flight of stone steps provides access to the first-floor doorway which has a stone lintel and plank and batten door. To the left of the doorway is a three-light casement window with stone sill and lintel; a further three-light casement window with stone sill and lintel appears on the second floor above. A dentilled brick cornice runs across the top of the building. The north-east elevation has a plank and batten door at ground floor and a plank and batten taking-in door at first floor. The catwalk extends from the second floor, carried across to the corn mill on large timber beams. The rear (south-east) elevation contains a small square window to both the first and second floors, and a stone-built stack projecting from the first floor, of which the upper section was rebuilt in the early 21st century. The south-west elevation has central window openings to the first and second floors, both with stone sills and lintels.

The ground floor of the mill building is subdivided by a coursed stone rubble wall and has a bare earth floor with large ceiling beams. The roof structure features 19th-century king-post trusses.