Powder Mills - Notes

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Building 1: Incorporating mill at powdermills gunpowder factory. Consists of a pair of gable-ended structures flanking a large central wheelpit. Both of massive granite blocks. Side walls circa 2 metres thick at base; gable walls circa 1 metre thick; all are only circa 0.80 metres thick at first-floor level. Tar dribbles indicate original roofing was of tarred tarpaulin or wood. Building terraced slightly into the hillside. Consists of two units: (A) to the south-east and (B) to the north-west. At the apex of each gable end of unit (A) is a large square opening. These oppose each other and those in unit (B). Doorway from the south-east at ground floor level. Matching opening on opposite wall presumably housed waterwheel axle. At the north end is a raised platform of granite blocks bearing impressions of machinery settings. Two openings in the east and west walls may have held beams anchoring machinery in place. Broad openings through the east and west walls at the first floor. Unit (B) is almost a mirror image of unit (A). The wheelpit is aligned north-east to south-west and runs the whole width of the units. Wheel axle appears to have projected into their ground floors. Powered by a launder to the north-east which flowed out through a culvert to the south-west. This is roofed for 3.5 - 4 metres, then becomes an open channel which runs downhill to feed the reservoir belonging to 'Building 2'.

Building 2: Incorporating or composition mill at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Same basic character and form as 'Building 1'. However, tar drips indicate that either it was not gable ended, or the gable ends were constructed of timber of lesser width than the walls below. Units (A) and (B) flank a wheelpit. Unit (B) is a mirror image of unit (A). The bedding for the wheel axle within the opening through the south wall is very well preserved beneath the turf. The granite has been highly polished by one of the cog-wheels. Central granite machine setting less complete than unit (A). Indication of first floor western doorway not matched in the east wall, though this may be masked by secondary rendering. Unit (A) has ground floor openings to the south and west. Inside a series of granite blocks runs east to west across the centre. The central one bears an impression of a machine setting. At first floor level are openings in the east and west walls, possibly originally with doors flush with the walls.Wheelpit similar to that in 'Building 1'. To the west the outflow exists through a culvert, which appears to be of secondary build to units (A) and (B). Outflow continues west in the form of a leat, towards 'Building 3'.

Building 3: Incorporating mill at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Similar in plan to 'Buildings 1 and 2', consisting of two units flanking a central wheelpit. The wheelpit is largely filled with rubble. The wheel was powered by water from the tailrace of the wheelpit of 'Building 2'.

Building 4: ?charge magazine at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Small rectangular stone structure, approximately 4 metres by 2.5 metres, aligned north-east to south-west and located 20 metres northwest of incorporating mill (Building 1), to which it is connected by a small embanked track. Ruinous. Walls survive to maximum height of 0.4 metres. Probable site of doorway in centre of north-east wall.

Building 5: ?charge magazine at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Connected to the rear of incorporating mill (Building 2) by a small embanked track which was probably metalled. Ruinous, rectangular, aligned north-east to south-west. All its north-west wall and much of the north-east wall has been removed during construction of a modern track. Original door would appear to have been in one of those walls. Walls generally 0.4 metres thick.

Building 6: ?charge magazine at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Located 50-60 metres south of incorporating mill (Building 3) to which it is connected by an embanked track. Slightly larger than the other two magazines (Buildings s 4 and 5). Circa 3 metres wide by 5-6 metres long. The south wall survives to a height of circa 0.5 metres and seems to contain a central doorway. A small hollow running down the centre seems to link up with one coming from the direction of the incorporating mill.

Building 7: ?'gloom' or steam stone used for drying gunpowder at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. A set of very ruinous structures divided into units (A) - (E). Complex consists of a long rectangular building (E) with a small rectangular building (D) at right angles to it, to the south. South of (D), units (A) and (B) may have formed a similar building. Unit (D) was connected to a granite chimney by a flue, this suggests it may have held a furnace or boiler.

Unit (A): survives only as a terrace, to the rear of which is a granite retaining wall. The line of the front (east) wall is visible as a parchmark. Parchmarks and some slight mounds within the northern part suggest internal divisions.
Unit (B): walls survive as low mounds of rubble with some facing stones. Approximately square in plan with hollows, probably doorways, in the centre of the east and west walls. No visible internal arrangements.
Unit (C): located immediately to the west of (B) and partly flanking (A). Part of its eastern wall survives to about 1 metre. At the northern end of this is a possible doorway into (B). The north wall appears to abut both east and west walls, suggesting a later insertion/blocking. There may originally have been an access point between the south-west corner of (D) and the northern end of (C).
Unit (D): rectilinear structure. North and south walls survive as low mounds of rubble. North wall consists of narrow wall built on wider base. South wall may have been similar. A portion of the west wall survives, in the centre of which is a flue leading to the chimney 5-6 metres to the south-west. The line of the east wall, which may have been largely open, survives only as a very low mound and parchmark. Two wheel cogs lie at the east end of the building, but may not be in situ.
Unit (E): long rectangular building immediately to the north-west of (D). The south-west wall either abutted or bonded into the back of (D). Originally had two broad openings at south end of west wall, probably double doorways. Parts of the west and north walls survive to 1.5 metres, only the footings of the east wall are visible under heaps of rubble. Internal east-west wall divides off the northern third of the building. Just north of this is a probable doorway from the north-east. Possibly another doorway into southern part through the same wall. In a second phase the double doorways were blocked, and a broad wall built to divide off the southernmost part of the building. Another division may run down the middle of the central portion.
The chimney has recently been conserved and is in very good condition. Built on a broad, circular base. Rectangular openings into the base on the north-eastand south-west sides.

Building 8: ?charge magazine at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Small rectangular building immediately northwest of 'Building 9' and to the west of the chimney of ?gloom/steam stove (Building 7). Wall footings survive and in places the line of wall faces. Apparent doorway through the west end of the south wall, and faint indication of a channel through the centre. This is a continuation of a small channel cut into the field surface, which appears relatively recent.

Building 9 at Powder Mills gunpowder factory contains five elements centred on Sections (b) and (c.) which are two mills powered by a central waterwheel fed by a leat off Cherry Brook.
Section (a): A long rectangular stone building. Gable ended, single storey with blocked doorways and windows in east wall. Loft entrance in south gable. Probably store or stable.
Section (b): Mill consisting of a two-storey gable-ended structure. Entrance from south-east. At ground floor is a small opening in centre of the south-west wall through into the wheelpit, presumably to hold the axle of the waterwheel. At first floor level is evidence of a north-west to south-east beam which may have reinforced a first floor carrying heavy machinery, or been used to hang/anchor machinery on the ground floor.
Section (c.): Mill similar to Section (b). Only a small portion of the west wall survives to anything like full height. Blocked doorway at north end of north-east wall perhaps mirroring that in the north-east wall of Section (b). Doorway through north wall into Section (d), possibly secondary. In centre of south-east wall is a rectangular opening which probably housed the axle of the waterwheel.
Section (d): A largely ruined building aligned north-east to south-west and abutting Section (c). Apparently single storey. Possible loft at south-west end.
Section (e): A rectangular structure abutting the south-west side of Section �. Only the lowermost portions of north-west and south-east walls survive, with a small loading platform (of granite) at its west corner. Doorway into first floor of Section (c.).
The wheelpit lies between Sections (b) and (c.). The tailrace is discernible running north-east presumably to join the leat supplying other buildings.
Four phases of development were identified.
Phase 1: Mill (b) was constructed originally with a wheelpit to the north preceding the existing one.
Phase 2: The addition of mill (c.) and present wheelpit.
Phase 3: The addition of Sections (a), (d) and (e), not necessarily contemporaneously.
Phase 4: After closure of works in 1897, the blocking of some doors/windows suggests use of the buildings as stock shelters. Lean-tos were built in the wheelpit and in the north end of Section (a).

Building 10: possible store building at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Located in a small terrace cut into the hillside to the east of the building. The south wall and most of the west wall survive. Only the footings of north and east walls are visible. Possible doorway at the north end of the east wall. No internal features discernible.

Building 11: Possible glazing mill at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Long rectangular building, gable-ended, aligned north to south. The north gable end survives. Single-storied, with doorways at north and probably at south ends of east wall. West wall survives to full height in the north, half height in south. The structure contains supports for a raised floor, or to support machinery such as glazing barrels. The internal supports may alternatively have been to provide under-floor ventilation. At some point prior to 1885 it was extended southwards. A wheelpit at the south end of the building probably dates from this period.

Building 12: breaking house at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Small, rectangular gable-ended structure, aligned north to south 20 metres south of the glazing mill. The southern gable was recently demolished by a falling tree. All walls stand to original height except around doorway through the east wall, where partial collapse has occurred. Inside is a large rectangular ?limestone table, 20-25 centimetres thick, on a masonry base. The southern portion has been broken off. The table top is smooth.

Building13: Possible press house at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Long, rectangular gable-ended building aligned north-south with an east-west wheelpit to the south. Only the lowermost portions of the east and west walls survive, with two apparent doorways in the east wall. Southern gable survives almost to full height with some collapse at the west end. North gable similarly survives with collapse at the east end. There is an opening within the apex. A central opening in the upper part of the southern gable end contains the stone setting for the wheel axle. Below this, at interior ground level, is a blocked opening into the wheelpit. On the south side of the wheelpit is another stone setting placed on a broad foundation. A second setting in the stone suggests either its re-use, or the re-positioning of the axle. The wall of the wheelpit is visible only in the west. The position of the sluice is identifiable. The tailrace is not visible.

Building 14: Incorporating/composition mill (a and b), ?cartridge press house (c) and ?corning/dusting house/glazing mill (d) at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Consists of two pairs of structures on either side of two wheelpits. The southernmost wheelpit and (a) and (b) flanking it appear to be of one build. The northern wheelpit is flanked to the north by mill (d) and to the south by a later addition (c).


Structure (a): small square structure on southern side of southern wheelpit. Contains a modern corrugated iron lean-to. Remnants of gable end on south wall. Large blocked doorway in centre of south wall. Doorway at south end of east wall. In centre of north wall is a small opening which presumably held the wheel axle.
Structure (b): mirror image of (a). Door and window at north end of east wall. North gable survives within later, south, wall of (c). Walls of both (a) and (b) are much broader at base than at first floor level. Inside Structure (b) are two large granite blocks, one on top of the other, which may be in-situ. Doorways through north and east walls are blocked. The former may relate to the construction of (c); the latter is relatively modern, and probably relates to stock control.
Structure (c.): two-storey structure built onto the north end of (b). Walls at first floor are 10-15 centimetres thinner than at base. Both north and south gable ends survive to full height. Central part of west wall survives to first floor, and its ends to their full height. Two possible doorways at first floor level at each end. Only the footings of the east wall are now visible, but there appear to be doorways at north and south ends. Large opening into wheelpit through north wall.
Structure (d): single storey mill of similar construction to other mills at Powder Mills. Walls of uniform thickness. Opening through south gable end wall to hold wheel axle. Much of the rest of the building is ruinous, and original north wall demolished. A low wall circa 1 metre north of the probable line of the original north wall represents either an extension or a later stock pen. Blocked doorway towards north end of east wall.
The wheel between (a) and (b) was powered by a continuation of the leat powering buildings to the north. The wheelpit tailrace discharged via a channel into Cherry Brook. The culvert has an arched roof of granite blocks overlain by slabs. The wheelpit appears to have been built before (c.), but after (d).

Building 15: possible mixing house at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Small, rectangular, single-storey shed. Aligned north to south. South gable end mostly survives. North end has collapsed. West wall stands to full height; east wall survives only as footings. No doors or windows are present in the three standing walls. Plaster rendering on interior. Small stone-lined channel runs east to west down the outside of, and parallel to the south wall. This is not traceable to the west of the west wall, nor beyond the trackway running up the hill.

Building 16: possible office or store at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Small, rectangular, ruinous structure. Walls survive to a maximum height of 0.5 metres. Two doorways at each end of east wall, of which the southern has been blocked.

Building 17: possible saltpetre crystallising house at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Long rectangular structure located at the extreme southern end of the site and aligned north to south. Single-storey with later extension to south. Two, possibly three, phases have been identified:


Phase 1: central part of existing building. Rectangular. Flat roof. Door and two windows through east wall. Water culverted through the building under the floor. Its north wall was probably the dwarf wall which now subdivides it from the extension to the north.
Phase 2: northern extension built, with central doorway through north wall, door and window in east wall. Cartshed added to south end of original building, with gabled roof. Cartshed is square and open towards the east, with central pillar originally supporting roof. All walls apart from south gable end survive to full height. The main (central) portion of the building has south and west walls surviving to full height. North wall largely demolished. Appears to have been either flat roofed, or to have had timber gable ends. Two partially blocked doorways and two windows through the east wall; tall, broad opening midway between the northern of the two entrances and the north-east corner of the building. No openings present in west wall, although its north end has partially collapsed.
The building has two elements:
Unit (a); a square gable-ended building open towards the east with a central pillar originally supporting the roof. All walls, apart from the southern gable, survive to full height. The west wall abuts the south-west corner of the earlier building to the north
Unit (b): the main portion of the single storey building with the southern and western walls surviving to full height. The northern wall has been largely demolished. The south gable was added when Unit (a) was built to the south.
There are two partially blocked doorways through the eastern wall with two windows in between. A broader and taller opening exists in the northern section of the eastern wall.
Dwarf walls in the interior consist of one long spine wall and two side walls. Another dwarf wall runs east to west across the structure from the northernmost door to the east wall. These appear to form a raised floor with water, air or heat circulating beneath. A small, square, stone-lined feature to the west of the south-west corner may be a well, or possibly a pit in which staves were soaked.

Building 18: Group of adjoining buildings including a possible cylinder house, for charcoal manufacture, at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Three phases of development were identified:


Phase 1: a two-room single-storey structure Units (c.) and (e) with doors in south and west walls, windows in west and east walls. Function unclear, though probably storage or industrial process.
Phase 2: addition of Units (a), (b), (d) and (f). The flue from Unit (a) into (f) implies a process involving heat. Main flue and chimney probably belong to this phase.
Phase 3: western portion of Unit (d) was added to the northern end of Unit (e). The northern wall of Unit (d) and the western wall of Unit (e) were thickened. Earthen mounds were were heaped against several of the walls.
The phases indicate that the function of the building probably altered over the period of production. The buildings include the following elements:
Unit (a): is of one build with Unit (b) to the north. The south and east walls survive almost to full height. Footings of the west wall survive but the northern wall has collapsed. There is a window in south wall and part of a doorway/gateway in west wall. has a doorway in centre of north wall into Unit (b). Possible blocked flue from the south-east corner into north-west corner of the possible furnace chamber Unit (f).
Unit (b): similar to Unit (a), though more ruinous. Only the north-west corner survives to anything like original height. Door through north wall into Unit (c.) and another opposite into Unit (a). Door in the centre of the west wall, and a window at south end.
Unit (c.): forms one structure with Unit (e) to the west, and its south wall is utilised by Unit (b). There are central doorways in the west and south walls and a window at north end of the west wall. The south end of the west wall has been demolished. The eest wall, and the northern part of the east wall survive to full height. Other walls are ruinous. Possible door in centre of north wall.
Unit (d): the eastern section predates the westernsection. There is a doorway into the eastern part from the east. The west wall abuts the north wall of Unit (c.). There are no other openings except a small rectangular hole low down in the wall subdividing the two sections. At a later phase Unit (d) was extended to the west, and the north wall of eastern part was thickened and embanked.
Unit (e): is the west portion of the early building which also contains Unit (c.). All the walls survive to full height. It forms a corridor down the west side of Unit (c.). There is a doorway in centre of the east wall to Unit (c.), a blocked doorway and window in west wall and a doorway through the south wall. At a later phase the west wall was thickened when Unit (d) was extended west. The window and door were blocked, and the wall embanked. The wall was later extended to the south.
Unit (f): a long, narrow rectangular structure, circa 2 metres wide, aligned east to west. Attached to east wall of Unit (b). There is a window in the south-east wall. The north-west wall is largely ruinous, though the south-west end survives and either turns to the north or has an entrance.
From the east wall of Unit (f) a covered flue runs eastwards up the hill. Its exact relationship with Unit (f) is unclear. It appears to run towards the blocked flue in the corner of Unit (a). The flue to the chimney is circa 1 metre deep and 0.4 - 0.5 centimetres wide. Its eastern portion is now open and rubble-filled, but the western portion is still capped. It enters the base of a chimney set on a plinth and about 10.5 metres high. The chimney has recently been conserved.

Pastscape: https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=442786&resourceID=2

The leat, six wheel-houses and the other buildings shown on the OS
25" 1885, when the factory was still in use, are virtually the same
as those shown on OS 25" 1952, although Harris (2) says that many
buildings have been destroyed. Only one small building at SX
62917765 and a few small ones at Powder Mill Cottages are missing
from the 1952 map. The hollow at SX 62767728 is shown water-filled
on OS 25" 1885, fed by a leat from the stream at SX 62787785.
Possibly this was a reservoir for fighting fires in the mill and
three wheel houses between SX 62807714 and 62777735. (5)