| Wittersham, Isle of
Oxney, Kent The tallest surviving
post mill in Kent, with a roundhouse of tarred brick under a sloping wooden
felted roof.
The mill has recently undergone a further major renovation by Kent County
Council, with help from the National Lottery and it was reopened to the public
in 2004.
Surrounded by the private gardens of Stocks Mill House. This house was once
owned by the actor Norman Forbes Robertson, artist Randolph H. Sauter and
Admiral Sir Edward Parry.
Probably built around 1781, it was named Stocks after the village stocks that
stood nearby. The mill operated for 120 years up to the beginning of the 20th
century. No mill machinery remains but there is a well-preserved roundhouse. The
idea of the date comes from a date on the centre post of the mill, the carving
is 1781 and the initials RV. This could be the date of the mill’s construction,
the date it was moved to Wittersham, or when some major repair occurred
The Isle of Oxney was once an island in medieval times, a high spot
surrounded by sea and marsh.
The mill is opened by the volunteers “The Friends of Stocks Mill”. There
is a small display of artefacts and photos. A few souvenirs are also
available. |
by Ron Strutt
Temporary Photograph, I have seen images through a gateway that are
better, but am not sure of the copyright position on these. |
