Tutsham Oil Mill, Teston, Wateringbury, Kent

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helluvaname

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Here's some photos and history of the remains of Tutsham Seed Mill, destroyed by fire in April 1885.

Tutsham Mill, also known as West Farleigh Oil Mill, is next to Teston Lock on the River Medway.
It was a water-turbine powered oil seed cake mill, originally built in the 19th century, reputedly by John Rennie in 1808. Rennie built London Bridge).

The first known operators were Startup and Philpott from about 1839.
In 1847 the mill was taken over by Thomas Boorman and became Boorman, Wild and Co., operated by Robert Manning Hayman in 1862.
Robert Leigh of nearby Barham Court (Manor House) installed Anglo Machinery for a short while.
It was leased by the Stewart Brothers from 1882 and by Spencer of Strood from 1884 to 1885.

As an Oil Seed mill, producing oil such as Linseed from crops, the end product was highly flammable which was why when the fire took hold it was so devastating.

The remains can be seen from the other side of the river at the lock in Teston Country Park, and are in the garden of Old Mill Cottage.
The cottage was occupied for many years by Jim Patch, a fascinating character who sadly died around 2016.
Jim was a member of the Long Range Desert Group in WW2 operating hundred's of miles out in the remote deserts of Libya and Egypt.
 

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Interesting history but not much left worthy of a report IMO.
& What the heck is that guy doing up ladder?
 
Yes most has gone, but what's left is huge! Mainly the front wall, and a few return walls.
The water turbine pit and tunnels are still there, although mostly silted up.

The local History Society produced a booklet about it.

Chap up the ladder is checking how stable the top of the structure is, as the owner at the time removed most of the ivy that was completely covering the whole thing!

Here's a few more links to info on it:
(ok so the site won't let me post links 🙄 so try the following without spaces):
www. thefarleighs .co.uk /tutsham_mill.html
www. geograph. org.uk /photo/1138983
https:// webapps.kent.gov.uk/ KCC.ExploringKentsPast.Web.Sites.Public/SingleResult.aspx?uid=%27mke15330%27
 
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