Mill Adjoining To East Of Mill House

This is a disused watermill, likely dating from the late 17th century or early 18th century. The lower part of the east end wall is constructed of coursed sandstone, with the remainder of the walls built of English bond red brick to the first floor. The upper stories are timber-framed and feature peg-tile cladding on the front and most of the end wall, and weatherboarding on the rear and lower part of the end wall. The roof is covered in peg tiles.

The mill is a single-cell building situated on the side of the bank of the dam creating the ornamental lake at Groombridge Place, providing the water head for the mill. A mill race once ran along the rear of the building, but it is now disused and filled in. An overshot waterwheel, which has since been removed, was once present. The ground floor contains the original mill machinery, while the roofspace houses a stone floor and bin area.

The front facade is irregular and features a mix of old casement windows, some of which retain old diamond panes of leaded glass. A doorway in the centre is fitted with an old plank door within a plain frame. The roof adjoins the adjacent Mill House to the right (east). The left-hand gable is extended to protect loading hatches. A two-flap loading hatch door is positioned at the first-floor level, accompanied by a leaded diamond pane window to the left, a boarded window to the right, and a shuttered window in the gable.

Inside, the carpentry is sturdy and simple, with a two-bay roof supported by a tie beam truss incorporating staggered butt purlins. The original mill machinery remains largely intact, and may include some early examples. A heavy framed hurst frame houses the gearing—primarily timber wheels and teeth—which drove two grindstones. Sack hoists and other original features are also present.

The mill is an interesting example of an estate building and an important part of the larger collection of related buildings at Old Groombridge.