NHER 15208 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks/earthworks of post medieval watermill complex and other features

Site of water mill.

Marked on Faden's map 1797 before river was diverted to present course.
E. Rose (NAU) 6 September 1979.

1995. Repositioning of mill site after site visit.
Small area of brick fragments on terrace overlooking flood plain, to southwest of pond (seasonal) and with earlier river channel leading from south. Pond is probably the mill pond, with a further channel leading north beyond an east-to-west causeway 10m total width, 0.5m high, which extends to east and onto NHER 1850. The causeway appears a possible access from east of river.
B. Cushion (NLA) October 1995.

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
There is a linear bank (with ditch on its northern side) visible on RAF 1946 (S1) and Ordnance Survey 1970 (S2) vertical aerial photographs and Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs 1973 oblique images (S3). It runs from NGR TF9434 4043 to TF9452 4048. It is possible that it is a causeway. This possible causeway appears to be aligned with a bank that runs east-west across NHER 1850. This might suggest that there is some connection between the two sites, with the causeway running into this adjacent site, as has previously been suggested.
There is a small pond at the western end of the causeway (previously suggested to be the millpond) (S1-3). This is located at TF9437 4048. Just to the south-west of the pond there appears to be the faint remains of a slight rectangular platform (this can be determined on the Ordnance Survey images (S2)) - located at TF9435 4041. It seems likely that this is a building/house platform and could be the remains of the mill building connected with the millpond. Together the pond and building platform appear to be part of a watermill complex, and are of likely post-medieval date. There is a watermill shown on Faden (S4) in this approximate location. The causeway may well be of a similar period, but this is not certain.
In addition to these features there are two potential channels that can be determined at the western end of the east-west bank (these run approximately south-north). The clearer channel is south of the causeway (and the clearly visible parts have been plotted). However, there seems to be a further channel heading north on the other side of the causeway. This is not quite as clear as parts of the southern one and therefore has not been plotted. These channels appear to lead to/from the pond (and building platform).
It seems likely that both channels are showing the old/former course of the river Stiffkey.
H. Clare (NMP) 11 October 2002.