Denton Mill
River Waveney tributary

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Denton watermill is one of the lost Norfolk mills. It was the manor mill and its location was not recorded. It was written that although the mill was a corn mill, a fulling mill was run on the same site,

The stream runs under the road at Dentonwash Bridge, just to the west of Dentonwash Farm and this would appear to be the most likely site. The name fits for fulling and just to the south of the bridge, the stream has been artificially straightened, which would have helped to drain the water away from the mill thereby maximising the available head of water.

John Skutte holds to farm for a term of years commencing 5 Henry VII (1489-90) unum molendinum fullonis pertinens manerio de Denton hall, with a house and certain lands to the same belonging, some of the land lying in Millholme next the Stagnum, the pool, of the said mill. This mill is described in a survey of the same manor dated 32 Elizabeth (1589-90), as molendinum fullonatum et aquaticum. It was on the north side of the Harleston and Bungay road, and not, therefore, upon the Waveney, and I conjecture it was worked by the stream which runs through the rectory grounds, and was situated near the bridge which now carries the high road over that rivulet. Evidently this mill was primarily for grinding corn. It was, indeed, the mill of the manor, and the page in which the entries occur is headed 'Denton Mill.' But under the same roof, or in an adjoining building, there was also a fuller's mill, and a parallel case is mentioned by Blomfield . . . So the arrangement seems to have been not unusual.
The East Anglian - 1897-98


The map below clearly shows the dotted line of the ancient parish boundary as it follows the line of the original meandering watercourse. The new cut bypasses the old course to its east before rejoining as it flows south to enter the River Waveney.

O. S. Map 1884

O. S. Map 1884
Courtesy of NLS map images


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Nat Grid Ref TM29538722
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