Then and Now - Staverton Mill

Staverton’s most famous landmark is the mill which lies at the bottom of the hill as you approach the village from the the direction of Bath It has been an important place of work for the village over several centuries

The mill at Staverton was first mentioned in Domesday and then again in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. It was converted to fully cloth use as a fulling mill by the end of the 14th century and the boom in the cloth trade created extra employment for Staverton people. The need for increased sheep production also aided the local economy. The stone weir was constructed to help control the water levels that kept the water wheels of the mill turning. By the end of the 15th century a thick, undyed broadcloth was produced in the local cottages for export and the number of cottages increased as the trade was thriving. The fulling and corn mill, purchased in 1556 by Christopher Aleyn, was leased to Stevyns of Holt and then to the Houlton family through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It was bought by the Bradford on Avon clothier John Jones and he built a new mill on the site of the old in the early 1800s. It was the largest mill in the area, and known as the Staverton Superfine Woollen Manufacture. The six floored building had a central bell tower and was built over the mill stream.