Mill Cottage

Mill Cottage is a former gunpowder mill that has been converted into a house. It dates from the early to mid-18th century and was transformed into a residence in the first half of the 19th century, with further alterations made in the mid and late 20th century. The building is constructed of limestone rubble with dressed quoins and features wany-edged horizontal boarding, topped by a hipped roof covered in pantiles.

The cottage is two storeys high and has a gable-end facing the road. The roadside elevation displays quoins and was originally open-fronted; however, it has been infilled with 20th-century horizontal boarding and now includes garage doors on the ground floor and two late-20th-century windows above. The right side of the building shows various blocked openings that relate to its original use. The left side features a mix of 20th-century doors, windows, a dormer, and additional structures. Inside, there are no visible features of interest.

Historically, the Woolley Gunpowder Works operated from the 1720s until around 1803. It was the first of three gunpowder mills established in Somerset to serve local mining interests and export to foreign markets via the port of Bristol. All three mills closed by the mid-19th century. Woolley is significant as it illustrates the spread of gunpowder production away from the Southeast during the 18th century. Its location next to the wheel pit of an earlier corn mill suggests that milling may have also occurred here. The lightweight construction of the front was likely designed to mitigate the impact of accidental explosions. Mill Cottage is a rare surviving example of its type, being one of only two still standing, alongside two others that have been excavated.