The Old Mill

The Old Mill is a house that was originally a roundhouse and trestle of a postmill, dating from the late 18th century and the 20th century. It features a brick cylindrical roundhouse, with some plaster but an exposed old plinth. The upper cylindrical stage has a continuous band of windows with brick mullions. The structure has two very tall storeys and a single-storey curved extension that wraps around the north and west faces. Each of the two main cylinders is topped with a brick and plaster balustrade. The windows are 20th-century metal casements, with those on the ground floor set into canted bays. Inside, the building retains a substantial timber trestle frame from the large post mill, which is supported by tall battered brick piers. One beam inside is inscribed with the initials C.F. and the date 1799. Isaac Mead, who wrote 'The Essex lad' in 1923, was an apprentice here and also inscribed his name in the main post.