Parndon Mill Lock

 
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PARNDON MILL LOCK

Lock State Date Length Length - Working Distance Width Fall
Parndon Lock Built turfsided 1766/9 90' 0'' 87' 6'' 13' 6'' 7' 0''
Parndon Lock Rebuilt in brick/concrete 1913 90' 0'' 87' 6'' 13' 6'' 7' 0''

Nearly the earliest history of Parndon Lock is recorded in the Ipswich Chronicle on 3rd April, 1847, with a report of an attempted burglary.

This report was sent to me by Toni Pomering whose great, great grandfather, Charles Wood, was sent to New South Wales for his trouble!

Griggs’ Report 1844:No 5 Lock called Parndon Lock affected by a mill; has a carriage bridge at the tail with 5 oak timbers; oak covering. One timber indifferent dated 1830. The lower gates dated 1837. The upper gates dated 1830. Depth of water on the lower sill 3’ 3’’. Ditto on the upper sill 4’ 1’’. Headway under bridge 5’ 10’’. This lock is in good repair.

Beardmore’s Report  1870: Parndon Mill Lock is in bad repair

Childs’ Report 1880: Parndon; Upper end of lock renewed 1877. Gates, slackers, wall, &c in good condition. Good depth of water over sill. Sides open in bad condition. Lower gates old and require renewal. Will require an outlay within 5 or 6 years of £450.

Childs'  Report 1884: ''Upper end of Lock renewed 1877.  Gates , slackers, Walls, &c., in good condition, good depth of water over sill; sides open, in bad condition. Lower gates old and require renewal. Will require an outlay within 5 or 6 years of £450.''

Tween's Report 1901 : ''Upper end of Lock renewed 1877.  Gates , slackers, Walls, &c., in fair condition, sides open, in bad condition. Lower gates new. Cost about £500. Lower sills should be lowered about a foot''

                                            The image below is from the 1901 Report

 

Of the eight mills on the Stort that gave their names to the adjacent locks, only two survive. One is at Twyford; Parndon is the other.  The Mill site is recorded in Domesday. 

The bridge over the lock tail was erected in 1863 (date on bridge).  Miller's plate by top gate.

Following a "Disastrous Fire" in 1897 (as the newspaper reported), the Mill was    rebuilt and re-let in 1900. It now houses a number of studios. The Miller's house dates back to 1717 or before and the Georgian front was put on at the same time as the top floor.

The lock chamber is just out of sight to the right in this picture taken on 28th June 1904.   The left hand building is the miller’s house.  The white mill can be seen through the trees. 

April 23rd 1915; The Engineer reported that "The reconstruction of the lock was delayed for want of cement which was held back on the railway for more than a week for the passing of troops and that there had also been delay in delivery of the ironwork owing to Government orders" (John Boyes)

"Flowing Onwards" a sculpture by Angela Godfrey in 2007, was inspired by the engineer, Thomas Yeoman, speaking in October 1769, at the opening of the River Stort navigation in Bishops Stortford,

 

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This site was last updated 18-Jun-2022