New Mill, Tonge

A water-powered corn mill in the historic county of Kent, England.

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The mill is Grade II Listed and has been converted to housing. It retains the waterwheel. A dam and mill pond was created to power the New Mill at Tonge in 1837; it was of four brick storeys and the machinery was built by Sweetloves of Wingham. In 1879, the mill was bought by the Wicks family who also worked Chegworth Mill at Ulcombe; it has remained in their ownership ever since. The mill worked by a water-power until the 1930's and in 1913 is recorded as having four pairs of stones, a Eureka smutter, flour dresser and bolter; auxiliary power was provided by steam engines and an early beam engine made by John Hall of Dartford around 1840. Flour was ground here by steam engine until 1950 or 1951 and would have continued but for a fire which destroyed the top floor and much of its equipment. The floor was later removed and a new roof built; the remaining machinery was removed in 1970 and the building has since been used for light industrial purposes, and more recently as a craft centre. The all-iron overshot wheel still remains in excellent condition underneath the mill; it was installed c.1895 and is 8' wide by approximately 11' in diameter.

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Location

References

• Anthony Bryan, Mills Research Group Database
• Historic England National Heritage List for England
• Ordnance Survey six-inch map, Kent XXXIII (1872)

Contributors

Rob Cumming, May 2016

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