Little Drapers Mill, Margate
In the 17th century the Isle of Thanet was the principal supplier of barley to the London Corn market, products being shipped to their destination up the Thames Estuary.
The first recorded mill to stand on the Drapers site appears on Robert Morden’s map of Kent published in 1695. Hooper’s Mill was shown in an 1824 Turner engraving, but recorded as destroyed in 1826.
The Pumper mill was built between 1858 and 1872. It was a 5-sweep brick tower mill used for pumping water to supply the ever-growing holiday town. After a gale in 1878 it was rebuilt with 4 sweeps, but in 1894 it was extensively damaged by tail winding. It had gone by 1933.
Little Drapers Mill was moved to this site by Thomas Richard Holman from Barham in 1869 for Messrs. Darby. Each portion being numbered before it was dismantled to facilitate re-erection.
Canterbury
April 27th 1871Dear Sir,
You would require the following tackle for laying in an extra pair of stones at the Little mill.
1 stone box fitted with brasses, 1 centre bar, stone spindle, drive box, stone nut quant, iron bridge tree & poppets. Lighter screw for governors & steel yard tackle. Set of tuns, horsings & hoper for stones, quant beam & poppets & bolts & meal trough, delivered to mill ready for fixing £28-10-0 or fixed complete in mill £33-10-0 (exclusive of stones)
Yours respectfully
Holman & Collard
This mill was dismantled in 1929.
