Brewhurst Mill

TQ 03 SW 3/10005

LOXWOOD BREWHURST LANE Brewhurst Mill

22.5.85

II Watermill. Late C18, restored c1890 after a fire and refenestrated in later C20. Ground floor red brick, in a variation of Sussex bond to the front and in English bond to the left side, upper floors faced with weatherboarding. Hipped slate roof. Three storeys; four windows. Windows now C20 top opening casements. Three ground floor windows have cambered heads. Gabled lucam to south west elevation and plank door. North west elevation has cast iron breast shot waterwheel of c1840. North east elevation has one storey brick projection containing c1928 Blackstone open-crank horizontal single cylinder diesel engine no 166890, which became the main power source until the mill closed down in 1981. The drive belt and pulleys are protected by an elegant cantilevered roof and walkway.

Interior contains a virtually complete set of machinery. The lower ground floor contains the original part wooden, part cast iron hursting powered by the internal cast iron pitwheel and its overshot waterwheel. A second cast iron pitwheel at the southern end was driven by the external waterwheel. The ground floor contains the main operative cast iron hursting; gears and tentering mechanisms for the two pairs of stones; the primary belt line shafting; a sack weighing yard and grain elevator. The upper floors were rebuilt after the fire in 1890. The first floor has two pairs of stones; stone crane; the internal and external sack hoist drive controls; a cylindrical powered sieve; a weighing yard and the Mill Office. The second floor carries four large grain bins; belt-driven roller mill; winnowing machine; bucket-type grain elevator and an air fan near the main stone feed hoppers. The third floor consists of the service walkway for the main bins and is complete with the sack traps and upper line shafting. The roof lids pine purlins with internal cladding. The stricture, floors, internal and external cladding of fine quality pine are in excellent condition, because of their fairly recent construction and the quality of the timber used.

Listing NGR: TQ0459131073