# Wassell Mill House, Ebernoe, Sussex - 2012



## The Archivist (Jul 16, 2012)

The exact age of Wassell Mill House is unknown, although it seems likely that it dates at least from the 18th century when Wassell Mill itself (which stands a couple of hundred yards away) was rebuilt on the site of an old ironworks which had closed in the mid-1600s. The house was originally a miller's cottage, and in 1841 was occupied by widowed miller and farmer Clara Baker and her three adult daughters who lived there until c.1878. After this, the mill's ownership passed to a Matthew Taylor, although census records indicate that the actual miller was probably Thomas Cornford who in 1891 lived in the house with his Wife, daughter, three sons and grand-daughter. In 1907 the miller was a James Vidler Lusted who held it until 1922. Lusted was succeeded by James Gwillim who milled there until 1927 when the Holden Brothers acquired it. By 1930 milling had ceased and the mill is now a private house. 

In 1933, by then surplus to requirements, Wassell Mill House was let to Ebernoe School for use as a schoolmaster or schoolmistress' house. Its subsequent history is unclear, but a local resident has told me that for the last 40 or 50 years the house was owned by a lady who gave piano lessons in the front room and stayed there until her death a few years ago. After the old lady's death her family could not agree what to do with the house and so it gradually fell into disrepair. In time the disputes were resolved or became irrelevant and the plot has recently been sold with permission to demolish the house and build a large 'arts and crafts' style villa in its place. 











Window and tarred brick, possibly to keep out damp. 





The kitchen/scullery is an unusual room, showing building work and alterations from several periods...





...including this timber-framed partition wall with a small door that opens out onto thin air above the cellar stair





The dining room/small parlour....





...complete with rather fetching wallpaper





the main lounge with inglenook fireplace. 





Bathroom 





Master bedroom






Thanks for reading, 
Arch


----------



## _Nyx_ (Jul 16, 2012)

Excellent in-depth report, great find & pics


----------



## Mars Lander (Jul 16, 2012)

That is a fab report , the first shot if that lil house is ace, with its curious colours, these are my fave splores well asylums & hospitals too


----------



## steve2109 (Jul 16, 2012)

great pics and report, loving the horse wallpaper, were there any spare rolls lying about !


----------



## kehumff (Jul 16, 2012)

Good report and fine pics, 
It made me smile as it looks like the house is wearing really bad make up in Pic1


----------



## Ratters (Jul 16, 2012)

Good stuff


----------



## perjury saint (Jul 16, 2012)

Great report on a lovely little house!
Shame its gonna be knocked down eh...


----------



## flyboys90 (Jul 16, 2012)

Quaint house its sad it looks like its past saving?


----------



## shane.c (Jul 16, 2012)

Good photos thanks for posting,


----------



## Sshhhh... (Jul 16, 2012)

How cute is that! Shame its going to be demolished Great report


----------



## godzilla73 (Jul 17, 2012)

The tarring of the brickwork appears to be quite common in Sussex. My grandparents house, which was not far from the above residence, was tarred around all of its windows for heat retention purposes, and many houses in their street also featured it.
GDZ


----------



## wolfism (Jul 19, 2012)

Quaint little house with an interesting history attached to it; the rosemary tiles and tarred brick are quite characteristic of the Sussex area. The "tar" is probably RIW Lac waterproofer…


----------



## sonyes (Jul 19, 2012)

Cracking report and pics, lovely little place


----------



## Silent Hill (Jul 19, 2012)

Nice find Arch. I adore places like this. Makes it all the more interesting with your in depth history on the site. Will be a sad loss to see it reduced to rubble though


----------



## TeeJF (Jul 20, 2012)

Demolish and rebuild... it's all you ever bl**dy hear isn't it. It's so sad that the short sighted can't see that modern housing so often is charmless and of little merit. Shame to see these old places "die"...

Good report and great write up.


----------



## Sussexbuzzard (Jul 21, 2012)

This has been demolished now went past yesterday an theres nothing there now but diggers and soil.


----------



## Old Wilco (Jul 21, 2012)

Shame to see such a lovely house go, suppose money talks at the end of the day


----------



## The Archivist (Jul 23, 2012)

Thanks for the replies all. I'm not really surprised to hear this has gone; things were moving quite fast with planning when I visited and the plot had just been sold.


----------



## abel101 (Jul 23, 2012)

such a shame!


----------

