Blenches Mill At Blenches Mill Farm

ST 85 SE HEYWOOD 929/4/10008 Blenches Mill at Blenches Mill Farm 25.5.99 II Water grist mill. Circa 1835, probably for the Heywood Park estate. Red brick in English garden wall bond with diapering under the eaves at front, and with stone stringcourse and windows. Gable-ended roof, re-clad in asbestos and corrugated iron sheets. PLAN: Rectangular plan, without internal partitions, and with waterwheel pit and machinery at the north end. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys. Symmetrical 5-bay west front with stone stringcourse at first floor level, slightly chamfered 2-light stone mullion window frames with iron casements, central doorway and loading door above on first floor; the second floor is blind at front where there are small diamond patterns in blue brick headers under the eaves. Similar, but 3-light window in end gables with diamond pattern of old bottle ends in apex above, and one 2-light stone mullion window at rear. Lean-to wheel-pit house at north end. Later stable attached to south end. INTERIOR: The overshot wheel is missing but the wheel shaft survives. The mill machinery remains intact. 2-step spurwheel under-drive machinery with shaft carried through stone floor for secondary drive take-offs, its crown-wheel and secondary gearing are missing, but the sack-hoist on the bin floor above remains. Timber hurst-frame and principal gearing intact, including the cast-iron pit-wheel with wooden cogs and cast-iron spur-wheels. Bin floor has gallery supported on the tie-beams of the roof. 5-bay tie-beam roof with tenoned staggered purlins and intact common-rafters with ridgeboard. One of the purlins is inscribed: J.T. Paige 1844, 1864, W.W..

Listing NGR: ST8733953088