Blackpool Mill

The main elevation facing SE is of four storeys plus an attic, with a range of five windows. The attic is lit only by windows in the gable ends plus a recent central roof-light at the front in the place of an earlier small dormer. At each end of the building is a two-storey wing, two windows, set back from the front elevation but in a continuous elevation at the rear. Rendered on all faces; slate roofs with coped gables. All the windows are of sash type with 16 panes, with recessed exposed frames. Some of the sashes have been replaced, many are of the type without horns and probably original. Slate sills. Central original double-doors, framed and boarded with a large fanlight within a dressed limestone surround. Three steps up to the door, which are unlikely to be original. There are the marks of a former canopy above.

As the rear elevation is all in one plane the fenestration of the main block and the wings is continuously spaced as a range of nine windows. In the ground storey the third and seventh openings are doors, probably altered from windows as the head height is the same.

The mill stands on a thin plinth over a basement podium. The basement is about 0.5 m high at the front but about 5 m high overlooking the river at the rear. The basement below plinth level overlooking the river is in regularly coursed hammer-dressed stonework with a large central archway for the tail water from the wheel and a smaller blocked archway to the left.

The main roof is of four king-post trusses with two purlins each side, in pine. The struts to the principals are kept high to preserve headroom. Sack-hoist pulley centrally in the roof apex. The roofs of the two side extensions are of two bays on queen-post trusses.

The attic floor is carried on four timber cross-girders supported by timber posts in the storey beneath. Plain pine single floorboarding in variable widths without cross-tongues. The first, second and third floors are all similar but each is carried on 110 mm diameter cast-iron columns in the storey beneath. The ground floor is also carried on timber girders, with two longitudinal ones supported on stone piers and six trimmed cross-girders at positions where machinery loads are carried.

The staircases have turned storey-posts in oak. Shaped pine handrails on square balusters; closed strings.

The machinery consists of a vertical-axis turbine by Armfields of Vale of Avon Ironworks, Ringwood, in the basement, driving a lay-shaft at ground floor to the four stones. The four sets of stones are at first floor level. The cast-iron hurst frames at ground floor level have handwheels for the adjustment of runner pressure.