Rowland'S Mill

A late 17th-century water mill and mill house stands in Ashill, constructed primarily of ham stone near-ashlar with some brickwork, and covered by a Welsh slate roof. The east gable has a tall, coped gable, while the west side is hipped. A substantial brick chimney stack sits upon a stone base. The south-east elevation features two storeys with an attic, extending across four bays. String bands delineate the floors. The first bay incorporates a 3-light casement below and an external iron drive-wheel above. Bays two, three, and four have 3-light casements, originally leaded; an attic window in the gable above has a single light, its counterpart blocked under a square label. Mullioned and transomed casements, largely with ovolo mouldings, are present throughout, some damaged or covered over. A boarded door is found within a heavy frame in the lower part of the third bay, with a square stone plaque above, bearing a moulded frame with unworked top mitres. Brickwork panels with semi-circular arched recesses, situated under relieving arches, are above the windows. On the west gable, the hipped roof cantilevers out on timber brackets, supporting remnants of a cast-iron undershot water wheel, approximately 3 metres in diameter. An extension has been added north of the wheel. The east gable features a single-storey lean-to, above which are two two-light casements with semi-circular brick panels, incorporating either vent holes or pigeon apertures. The north elevation has a catslide roof with two gables and further casement windows, formerly leaded. Much of the original machinery remains, potentially dating before the 19th century, though the wheel itself, constructed by Edward Peace of Taunton, is part of a remodelling in 1851. During this work, parts of the gable wall were rebuilt. Interior access is currently limited; however, reports indicate three domestic rooms on the ground floor, one with a cross-corner fireplace, another with an inserted copper/wash boiler, and a third with a large fireplace and a removed oven. The first floor contains two domestic rooms at the east end, the larger featuring a fireplace and stud and panel partitioning. The attic room was formerly linked to the house rather than the mill. A report suggests the mill may have served occasional estate purposes, with the miller likely holding a secondary occupation such as weaving. The building suffered neglect and vandalism in December 1985. It is considered important for its brickwork, which is early for Somerset (pre-1700 examples being rare), and for the rudimentary machinery, some of which is believed to predate the 19th century.