Explore a summary of Sandy Potter's historical research below, collated from extensive archive digging, archaeological and dendro-dating reports, a never ending stream of books, and newspaper articles!
Roman coins in the reign of Antoninius Pius 138-161AD found in the field close to The Old Mill House stables in 1842. Within the garden of the Mill House, a shard of Roman Grey pottery ware was found in November 2022. This confirms the site was used during the Roman occupation.
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022: Roman Grey Pottery found in Nov 2022
This famous Anglian burial site is only a 10 minute walk from the oldest surviving watermill dating back to the 7th century. A rare sword and jewellery were retrieved in 1868 and now reside in the British Museum. It confirmed the graves came from a wealthy royal family most likely at the time of the emergence of the kingdom of Mercia.
A rare Saxon Celtic Cross Shaft exists at the entrance of All Saints Church. This famous landmark represents a mix of pagan symbols with christian imagery. Before the church was built, holy men would preach at this spot and it would be a place for the villagers of the Bradbourne Estate to gather.
It was recorded bear baiting occurred at the position of the cross shaft, but this ritual was banned in 1330.
Foundations of 2 long barns were excavated on the west side of Bradbourne Church dating from late Saxon to early Norman origins. It was encircled by a ditch to create a wall around this area. It confirms Bradbourne extended further but shrunk after the Norman conquest.
All Saints Church was built in 1009 by Oswin, Balliff of the South Western Peaks.
(c) S Potter 2023. Photograph at the top of All Saints Church overlooking the west side of the Church towards Ballidon and Parwich.
Henry de Ferrers, Tenant-in-Chief and Lord held one mill worth 3 schillings in Tissington - part of the larger central Manor of Bradbourne. Lea Hall was the seat of the Lord of the Manor of Bradbourne and included several estates.
Image: Doomsday Entry for Tissington village
Robert de Cauceis 1st tenant of Bradbourne Estate, seneschal to the Ferrers.
All Saints Church was rebuilt by the Ferrers family to include an unusually tall tower. However, some Saxon masonry remains still exist including the rare Saxon arch doorway with its stone carved animal imagery re-used as an entrance to the tower.
Image: Anglo Saxon Peak District and the size of the Bradbourne estate, which included a number of villages before Domesday. It was one of four central divisions of the Peak District. The others were Wirksworth, Bakewell and Hope. By 1205 the Manor of Bradbourne had been fragmented to consist of only Bradbourne, Ballidon, Brassington, Atlow, Aldwark and Tissington. The Lord of Bradbourne at this time was Geoffrey de Cauceis, the great grandson of Henry de Ferrers.
Robert de Cauceis II married Isabel de Ferrers, granddaughter of Henry de Ferrers.
Image: The De Cauceis Coat of Arms
Robert de Ferrers I grants certain lands to the monks and nuns of Garendon Abbey in Lee, Bradbourne and Parwich.
Image: Bradbourne Church holds the 12th century stain glass window of Henry de Ferrer’s coat of arms depicting three horseshoes indicating his ancestry connections to the mining industry in Normandy. © S Potter 2023.
Geoffrey de Cauceis grants Hugh de Okeover '2 bovates in upper Bradbourne up to the mill and 2 bovates in lower Bradbourne'
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022
Adam de Herthill grants Roystone Grange (of Roman origins) together with the town of Ballidon to Garendon Abbey. This illustrates the land was managed as a large grange from land opposite the mill north to Roystone Grange.
Image: Font at Ballidon Chapel © S Potter 2023. The chapel consists of a first-floor chimney probably used by one of the canons of Bradbourne in 1219 before it was exchanged for a toft in Ballidon. The font was built in the early 1100’s with an intriguing rustic font carved with fish, bear, muzzled beast, figures including a rare Sheela-na-Gig. The carvings are described as Romanesque motifs from early 12th century. It is thought the work was of an apprentice practising different iconography.
A Chaplain called Elias resided at the Ford of Lee (the earlier name of today's Tissington Ford) on Bletch Brook. It is likely the Chaplain would receive a toll at the crossing and bless the travelers.
Image: Tissington Ford previously called the Ford of Lee in the early 1200's
© S Potter
Geoffrey de Cauceis grants Godard de Bradbourne the manor of Bradbourne. However, he leaves All Saints Church in Bradbourne and its four chapeleries, parish lands, including a tithe in Lea Hall and Aldwark to Dunstable Priory - Geoffrey's local monastery as he also held a manor near Northampton.
Lea Hall included the mill and Lea Hall was a moiety of Tissington, and Tissington was part of the larger Bradbourne Estate. The Canons of Dunstable Priory built their Manor House and grange next to the Church over the next century.
Image: All Saints Church of Bradbourne. The tall Saxon cross shaft greets you as you enter the church.
Magnificent ancient trees surround the Bradbourne Hall Grounds. Underneath the snowdrop covered front lawn covers the foundations of the Canons' Great Grange built circa 1215-1300
(J Yates, Medieval Dunstable)
© S Potter, February 2023
Charter from William son of Robert de Lee and his grant on land called ‘Oldeweleflate’. Old Wheel Flat (flat meadow) for grazing sheep confirms the watermill was much older than circa 1215 and located in close proximity to the mill.
Image: Remenants of the original Dunstable Annals - provided to us from Jean Yates for the purposes of our Mill research
Emma de Bradbourne is a guest of the canons and receives regular white loaves
Image: This is a Miche loaf that would typically feed a family for a week before the next opportunity to bake. Lee had a croumbaker (Baker/bakehouse) opposite Bradbourne Mill before 1260
Emma de Bradbourne confirms Garendon Abbey leased the land from the flats of Lee to the public common area of Bradbourne opposite the church. Three years later she ends the lease and gives the land to the Canons of Dunstable, now residing in Bradbourne.
© Photograph by S Potter 2023
The ancient track called Hollow Way started from Lee to Bradbourne Church. It met the linking track down the hill called Church Way. The track is on the edge of Gorse Hill Farm and follows its boundary. It then crossed Bletch Brook and went past the Church (passing the old shrunken village site on the west side); it continued through to Bradbourne Hall’s front garden and out the other side.
Robert de Bradbourne, Rector new Lord and tenant of Bradbourne and its mill
Image: Bradbourne's Coat of Arms
Canons of Bradbourne rent the mill for 10 years for 11 marks
Image: A painting of four monks by Claudio Rinaldi (1852-1909 Dorotheum Munich)
Sir Henry de Bradburne’s Will confirms Bradbourne Mill was in his possession as detailed in the will of 1452.
Charter describes the location of Bradbourne Mill and Bradbourne Church; also the location of a baker opposite Bradbourne Mill.
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022. The 1260 Bakery resided here in Lee overlooking the Mill.
John de Cheddington of All Saints Church and Prior of Dunstable Priory successfully petitioned to end 'bear baiting' by the Old Saxon Cross.
Image: Saxon Shaft - Top Stone dated 700s - 1009
© Photograph S Potter, 2023.
The Top stone of the Shaft cross is stored in the Church but would have originally been placed on the top of the Saxon cross shaft to make it even taller. The stone depicts an Angel and represents a link to heavenly forms of angels, human prayer and contemplation. The move towards Christanity is seen by the mix of stone images with German mythology representing Wodin with a raven on his shoulder and an archer depicting Egil. This stone monument would have looked down on those who stood by it to gather to hear the gospel being read by a holy teacher prior to the Church construction in 1009.
Sir Roger de Bradbourne grants Dunstable Priory canons the use of Bradbourne Mill for a single red rose each year on St John the Baptist Day.
Image: The 1330 Charter
Timber sluice gate carbon dated (found at the end of the the mill race).
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022: Image of the rear of the Mill. The mill’s roof was raised and the window enlarged under the Fitzherbert’s ownership. The upper mill pond is shown and the sluice gate that opens to allow the water to flow through the pentroughs to turn the overshot wheels.
Sir John de Bradbourne’s will includes seisin of Bradbourne Mill
Image: John de Bradbourne’s monument in St Oswalds Church, Ashbourne
Sir Humphrey de Bradbourne and wife Margaret in possession of Bradbourne Mill
Image: Painting of Bradbourne Mill by Wilfred Ball
Star Chamber Court Case between Humphrey de Bradbourne II and his cousin Aden Beresford. Relating to the destruction of Beresford’s mill by Humphrey as he argued it was built on his brook, Bradbourne Brook. A drawing of the brook is illustrated in the documents with Bradbourne Mill sited exactly where it is located now.
Image: Sir Humphrey De Bradbourne, Monument in St Oswalds church
Archaeologist (M Hurford) finds at Bradbourne Mill the oldest hand made kiln tile for drying corn in the Peak District in November 2022! It is found in the Mill House garden and likely dates between 1533 to 1630.
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022: Piece of a kiln tile found in Nov 2022
Dissolution of the monasteries. Rector of Dunstable Priory leaves Bradbourne, the church and chapels and parish lands. The tenancy of the Mill is returned to the Lord of Bradbourne, Sir Humphrey de Bradbourne, Senior.
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022: Bradbourne Village. The two buildings on the right of the photography are the site of the canon’s grange buildings.
William de Bradbourne II sells the Manor of Bradbourne and the Mill to his brother-in-law, Sir Humphrey de Ferrers of Tamworth Castle and sister Ann de Bradbourne. Humphrey’s son, William married Frances Priest and relocates to Calke Abbey but later holds Alstonefield Manor. Elizabeth Bradbourne, another sister rents as a widow Lea Hall from her sister Ann and her brother in law.
Image: De Ferrers Coat of Arms
Loan given by Bess of Hardwick, also known as Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury, secured on the 'mansion house, rectory and tithe lands, late of the Priory of Dunstable’. Likely loan to Sir Humphrey de Ferrers (married Ann de Bradbourne) who purchased the connecting lands to Bradbourne.
Image: Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury by Rowland Lockey 1592
The Old Mill house south extension was built in the 1600’s and previously thatched but retiled before 1800. The windows to this south elevation were replaced most likely in 1750. The north end building which the south phase butts up to was re-built in 1837 by Sir William Fitzherbert. However, the north end was rebuilt on top of the lower wall of the existing house, which is the oldest section of the house and dates to pre 1600’s. The date of this wall is unknown and could date to early medieval at the time of the Canons of Dunstable Priory's tenancy which ended in 1540.
Image: © Sandy Potter, 2022: The Old Mill House
The Drying kiln beneath the kitchen of the Water mill that still exists, is dated to approximately 17th-18th Century (Alan Gifford). It may have replaced an earlier kiln in the same location which compliments the kiln tile dated between 1533-1630.
Image: How the watermill design stayed the same over the centuries but more hoppers and a kiln for drying were adapted to increase production of flour in the late 19th century. Bradbourne Mill has a kiln located under the floor of the existing kitchen and it would have been used to dry the grain above on perforated tiles.
Image from Historic Scotland Twitter account - an artist's impression of miller duties in a corn mill - specifically New Abbey Corn Mill.
Bess of Hardwick/Countess of Shrewsbury and Humphrey de Ferrers died. Walter de Ferrers (3rd son) sells off the Priory’s manor and parish lands to several landowners and George Buckston rebuilds the manor house of the canons of Dunstable and renames it Bradbourne Hall in 1609; it is thought the central part of the front elevation, still retains a section of the Canon’s house built in 1330.
Image: Bradbourne Hall
Dendra dating of the mill workings in 2022 (Robert Howard and Alison Arnold NTRDL), confirms an earlier mill than the stone quoin date of 1750.
Image: The medieval oak hurst frame that held the heavy mill workings in place to ensure there was no movement when it was in operation. The frame was secured to its foundations and confirms the size of the Water Mill at 1625-1630. © S Potter, 2022.
Mill fields leased to Samuel Swan of Hurdlow tenancy granted by Edward Ferrers
Image:
The view opposite Bradbourne Mill. Location of the lost village of Lee. The celtic to early medieval village spread from Lea Hall in a linear line across this hillside on both sides of the track. The track leads to the Ford and the Mill. The village consisted of 24 crofts including a Croumbaker (small bread baker) and a carpenter – both essential to the Water Mill. At the lower part of the hillside, this area was called the mill fields. © S Potter, 2022
Lord George Marquess of Townsend married Lady Charlotte Compton, 16th Baroness Ferrers of Charterley and becomes the new owner of the water mill
Image: Field Marshal George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend 1724-1807, Earl of Leicester since 1784
Stone date on mill confirms renovation to the mill rather than its build date. The renovation and extension of the drying mill would have been by the new owner Lord George Marquess of Townsend.
John Buxton tenant of the Mill to 1815
Image: Medieval mill stones lay at the back of The Water Mill
Marquess George Townshend sells the Mill to Sir Phillip Gell of Hopton Hall
Image: Sir Philip Eyre Gell Senior of Hopton Hall by Joshua Reynolds, his son Philip became a MP
Sir Philip Gell and other prominent landowners build a new road (B5056) and a number of toll gates along it. One is located at Bradbourne Mill.
Samuel Gerrard tenant and miller of Bradbourne Mill to 1835
Image: Painting by Wilfred Ball of Bradbourne Mill Farm
Mill inherited by Samuel Sanders of Basford, mother was heir to Samuel Swan
Image: Medievalists.net image of the calculations controlling bakers which would allow someone to buy at least some quantity of bread for a penny. ‘when Henry of Kniveton is in residence at Gayton his grain is to be milled free from toll. Henry’s tenants are to pay toll at the rate of one thirty-second part of the grain and are to be free from labour-services of the mill...' (29 October 1303).
Joseph Jerrard miller to 1862
Image: Wigber Low, 15 minute walk from the Mill. It is the site of Bronze Age and an Anglian family burial from the 7th Century. A rare sword and jewellery confirm the family burial of a Royal Chieftain Lord. The finds are now part of a collection at the British Museum.
© S Potter 2022, the Burial mound and Wigber Low overlooking Kniveton
It is likely the East mill wheel nearest to the Water mill, belongs to the design of the mill workings of 1625-1630 and the kiln tile dated 1533-1630, whereas the west mill wheel belongs to the probable upgrade in 1800 to 1850.
Sir William Fitzherbert purchased Lea Hall and Bradbourne Mill and with it comes the ancient title of Lord of the Manor of Bradbourne. He does not own Bradbourne Hall and parish lands, (the ancient site of the canons of Dunstable Priory) as this was sold to various landowners after the reformation.
Image: Sir William Fitzherbert, 4th Baronet of Tissington Hall
Photograph, National Portrait Gallery
Mary Jerrard, daughter of the late Samuel Gerrard, listed in the 1840 tithe map and Newspaper clippings as living at Bradbourne Mill.
Image: Page from Little Lily's Picture Book published in the 1800s
Lea Hall and the Mill leased for 1000 years by Lawrence Hall
Image: Exposed Mill workings located in the Mill.
Toll gates along B5056 deteriorated and shareholders in debt. Gates thrown open
Image: Historic England image of the Bradbourne Mill site.
Joseph Gerrard (son of Mary Gerrard) - Miller 1876, Joseph's wife's (Hannah) father, Elijah Heath, became the new Miller at Bradbourne Mill in 1881, and Frank Wright Limited - Miller until 1912
Image: Painting by Alan Ingham of Bradbourne Mill
The public common land of 1887 where fetes and celebrations detailed from 1180 were located opposite the Church. Bradbourne fetes and gatherings are now held outside the village hall, further along from the ancient public common land.
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebration in Bradbourne ©Picture the Past.
Richard Lomas was the first farmer and overseer of Bradbourne Mill on behalf of the Lord, Sir Hugo Fitzherbert of Tissington Hall
Photo of the Webster Family by Bradbourne Mill's outbuilding, now known as Waterside Barn in 1924. © photograph courtesy of Philip Wilton and Anne Dutton, grandchildren of Leonard and Laura Webster
Photograph of the Mill Race.
© Philip Wilton and Anne Dutton, grandchildren of Leonard and Laura Webster
Leonard and Laura Webster, with their 5 year old daughter Nancy, were the second farmers at Bradbourne Mill. Due to damp conditions, Sir Hugo Fitzherbert relocated them to another farm on the Tissington Estate.
© Philip Wilton and Anne Dutton, grandchildren of Leonard and Laura Webster
Second World War, Bradbourne Evacuees stadning on MIll Lane in the village of Bradbourne and behind is the old school.
Mr John Myers, tenant farmer from 1940 to 2006.
Renovation works are depicted by this date under the central rear window of the Water Mill. This elevation was repaired and a window enlarged. The water mill was repaired to use as another farm outbuilding.
Image: Alan Gifford Photograph
Bradbourne Mill Farm sold by Sir Richard Fitzherbert of Tissington Hall.
Image: Entrance hall of Tissington Hall. With much gratitude to Sir Richard Fitzherbert for allowing the time to search through the Estate’s maps, records and family albums.
Purchase of Mill site: Waterside Barn, Tissington Ford Barn, The Old Mill House and The Water Mill by Mr D and Mrs S Potter
The Water Mill
Bradbourne Mill, Bradbourne, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. DE6 1NP
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