Thorrington Tide Mill And Attached Dam Wall To North West

This is a 19th-century tide mill, situated on the site of earlier mills. The mill is timber-framed and clad in weatherboard, with a brick plinth and a grey slate roof. It is three storeys high, with a loft and lucam. The south facade has a two-window arrangement of 6-pane casements; a smaller, vertically sliding sash window is on the north side. The east gable features a lucam supported by timber struts. There are halved doors on the second floor and to the left of the ground floor. A window is located on the west face, within the loft.

Inside the mill, the timber framing is of 3 x 4 bays. Notable features include large storey posts, through bracing to the walls, a central down-braced storey post to the third floor, chamfered bridging joists, a side purlin ridge board roof, and drop doors to each floor. The pit wheel is mounted on a wheel shaft, which passes through the tile base of the adjacent dam wall. The wheel itself has eight angled spokes bolted into the hub, with remaining bucket supports in place.

The upper floors feature a range of milling machinery, including a wooden rim pit wheel with cast iron spokes, a wallower, a clasp-iron great spurwheel with wooden teeth engaging cast iron stone nuts on the spindles of three pairs of millstones. A tentering gear for adjusting the millstones and a device for disengaging the stone nuts are present. Three pairs of 4-foot French burr stones are visible on the stone floor, although one runner stone and all the stone cases and hoppers are missing. Above the stones is a wooden crown wheel engaging a pinion on a horizontal layshaft, which previously drove a sack hoist and dressing machines by belt. A Simon dressing reel is also present. The bin floor is empty save for the sack hoist drum, and the loft above provides access to the lucam.

The mill is the only surviving tide mill in Essex and one of the few remaining in East Anglia. The attached dam wall is constructed of red brick, largely concealed by earth and gravel. Information was provided by V.G. Pargetter, the County Millwright.