I first discovered this place about 3 years ago. I drive past it all the time but you would never even notice it was their unless you were silly enough to drive round a corner of a country road scanning the area for potential derps. Well that was me when I started my current job. And still is. Occasionally driving all over Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire down country roads delivering to rural pubs, certain things catch your eye. Now we have bigger vans where you sit much higher up, well I can see over fences and hedges so the list grows! Perks of the job and all that. It is only just visible in winter, but you can just catch it out the corner of your eye this time of year.
H and I were out doing a long walk, we are doing the West Highland Way soon to raise money for charity and doing it in under 5 days (100 miles just FYI!) so we need to practice doing longer distances than our usual, and we went past and I noticed part of the fence had collapsed next to it. It goes without saying I was there the very next day!
I had thought it was a house, but as soon as I was next to it I thought it was a garage or a work shop. Meh! None the less I made my way inside. I had pissed about for long enough walking back and forth with an OS map in my hand in an attempt to look inconspicuous, one that didn't even cover this area, whilst waiting for a gap in the traffic. Finally I bolted across the road and leaped through the gap.
I made my way to the access point only to find it sealed with wooden boards. Oh great. Oh - they are on hinges, sweet! Once inside, just empty space. But my ear was drawn to what sounded like a waterfall or something, so I followed noise. I had just found an old water powered saw mill!
I don't have any history of this place. I have tried to find out anything I can but no joy. It is a rectangle on the OS map (the correct one that is) and google shows up nothing. The only ways in I had spotted would have annoyed the owners of the estate this is on, or I would have ripped myself to shreds, or gone through a bog that is covered in roots just above the ground. I searched for info before the gap appeared, I wasn't sure if it was worth the punt or not.
For what is an essentially empty building, I was really surprised by what remained. Seeing how the offshoot/tributary of/to the main river had been channeled to power this mill was pretty cool. I got there just before sunset so the added bonus of nice light was a sweet touch.
Anyone who can chime in with any info about the stuff that remains, I would be very grateful, I'm sure everyone else would be too!
And now the good bit...
Far from spectacular, but I know some of you will get a kick out of the old school engineering.
Thanks for looking!
H and I were out doing a long walk, we are doing the West Highland Way soon to raise money for charity and doing it in under 5 days (100 miles just FYI!) so we need to practice doing longer distances than our usual, and we went past and I noticed part of the fence had collapsed next to it. It goes without saying I was there the very next day!
I had thought it was a house, but as soon as I was next to it I thought it was a garage or a work shop. Meh! None the less I made my way inside. I had pissed about for long enough walking back and forth with an OS map in my hand in an attempt to look inconspicuous, one that didn't even cover this area, whilst waiting for a gap in the traffic. Finally I bolted across the road and leaped through the gap.
I made my way to the access point only to find it sealed with wooden boards. Oh great. Oh - they are on hinges, sweet! Once inside, just empty space. But my ear was drawn to what sounded like a waterfall or something, so I followed noise. I had just found an old water powered saw mill!
I don't have any history of this place. I have tried to find out anything I can but no joy. It is a rectangle on the OS map (the correct one that is) and google shows up nothing. The only ways in I had spotted would have annoyed the owners of the estate this is on, or I would have ripped myself to shreds, or gone through a bog that is covered in roots just above the ground. I searched for info before the gap appeared, I wasn't sure if it was worth the punt or not.
For what is an essentially empty building, I was really surprised by what remained. Seeing how the offshoot/tributary of/to the main river had been channeled to power this mill was pretty cool. I got there just before sunset so the added bonus of nice light was a sweet touch.
Anyone who can chime in with any info about the stuff that remains, I would be very grateful, I'm sure everyone else would be too!
And now the good bit...
Far from spectacular, but I know some of you will get a kick out of the old school engineering.
Thanks for looking!
