Information for record number MWA546:
Oversley Mill, Alcester

Summary Oversley Mill, a watermill which was used from the Medieval period onwards to grind corn. It may have been used as a needle mill during the Imperial period. The Mill is situated 600m east of Arrow.
What Is It?  
Type: Watermill, Corn Mill, Needle Mill, Mill
Period: Imperial - Industrial (1751 AD - 1913 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Alcester
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 08 56
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 There was a mill here in 1086, and mills in about 1155, 2 watermills and a fishery being attached to the manor in 1287. The mill is also mentioned in C16. The mill was used as a needle mill by the firm of Holyoake of Redditch from 1825 to 1844.
2 The mill seems to have reverted to corn grinding after 1844. Informaton on ownership exists for C19 and early C20. The mill became disused in 1925 and has since been used as a cattle shelter. The 3 storey brick building has been considerably altered to serve its new purpose and all the machinery, including two turbines, has been removed. Both the head and tail races have been filled in although the site of one of the turbines is still clear.
3 Oversley's link with needlemaking is tenuous. The main structure is in red brick and probably dates from around the turn of the C19.
4 Sketch.
5 Photographs.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Survey of Arrow Valley Needle Industry
Author/originator: Collins P
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Warwickshire Watermills
Author/originator: Booth D T N
Date: 1978
Page Number: 83-4
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 3, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Salzman L F (ed)
Date: 1945
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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period Imperial 1751 AD to 1914 AD (end of the 18th century AD to the beginning of the 20th century AD)

This period comes after the Post Medieval period and before the modern period and starts with beginning of the Industrial Revolution in 1750. It includes the second part of the Hannoverian period (1714 – 1836) and the Victorian period (1837 – 1901). The Imperial period ends with the start of the First World War in 1914.
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monument TURBINE * A rotary prime mover. Turbines may be steam, water or gas operated. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument MILL * A factory used for processing raw materials. Use more specific mill type where known. See also TEXTILE MILL, for more narrow terms. back
monument MACHINERY * Apparatus used for applying a mechanical force, or to perform a particular function. Use more specific type where known. back
monument TAIL RACE * A water channel leading from a water wheel. back
monument INDUSTRIAL * This is the top term for the class. See INDUSTRIAL Class List for narrow terms. back
monument FISHERY * An area where fish are naturally present, eg. part of a river. back
monument NEEDLE MILL * A mill or works where needles were manufactured. back
monument MANOR * An area of land consisting of the lord's demesne and of lands from whose holders he may exact certain fees, etc. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument CORN MILL * A mill for grinding corn. Use with power type where known. back
monument WATERMILL * A mill whose machinery is driven by water. back
monument CATTLE SHELTER * An open sided building known to have been used for sheltering cattle. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record