SIR, – Old watermills, though less “regionalised” as to distribution and much less publicised, might be classified with windmills as dead or dying relics of rural industry.

Earmarked for demolition in the very near future is the watermill at Abingdon which has soon to make room for the building of a block of flats. The adjoining white house in the photograph was formerly the miller’s but is now the Vicarage. Left, and behind, rises one of the most famous chimneys in England, the thirteenth-century stack from the Prior’s House of Abingdon Abbey, a feature much copied by Victorian revivalists of Gothic details.

Watermills are an older invention than windmills. All the “mills” in the Domesday survey are watermills: none was a windmill.

A.B. Grist
Berkshire

(Letter published in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News 30 August 1961)

Find out more about Abingdon’s Heritage this coming Heritage Weekend.

Apologies that the talk on local brick making has been postponed due to the ill health of the speaker.

But on Friday, you can still come and hear  A History of Morland’s Brewery – A talk by W T Mellor Head Brewer 1982-1994 – at St Nicolas Church.

There are still places for the tour of the Guildhall – 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00 on Saturday 9th September. Book by e-mailing enquiries@abingdon.gov.uk .

If you go into the Community FreeSpace, as part of the Made in Abingdon exhibition, the newly commissioned map showing Abingdon Industry has arrived.

Abingdon then and now – a floral walk through Abingdon’s history at the Abbey Buildings between 8th and 10th September. Put on by the Abingdon Flower Club. etc…