Lecture Report - Mills and the Anglo-Saxon [Agri]cultural Revolution

Carole Leith, Chair of our Mills Section attended a fascinating online lecture in December 2024.

Archaeologist and historian, Andy Bliss, presented a scholarly but accessible lecture on the development of water mills. His research into Domesday, monastic and other early, often beautifully illuminated, manuscripts gave substance to the Mills Section first history lecture.

We learned that when the milling revolution reached Britain, it freed up women and slaves from the daily grind of using the quern to turn cereals into flour. We heard how important mills, ingeniously harnessed to a variety of water resources, were to the economy and as a consequence to the emergence of the English State and the beginnings of the manorial system.

Over 5,000 mills on, or alongside water courses, are cited in Domesday (1086AD), some probably dating back to the Roman period, which were often rebuilt on the same site. Indeed, many existing watermills may be built on medieval sites. Constructed of wood, some little larger than a garden shed, they easily rotted away in the inevitably damp conditions. But, deep in the silty mud, can be found partially preserved mill structures; although only a handful have been properly excavated. Andy’s photographs illustrated what challenging work this can be.

We learned that royal or monastic patronage appeared to be important to the initial expansion of this technology in the earlier Anglo-Saxon period (circa 700AD); with local lords following, building watermills on their estates in order to increase agricultural production. By the time of the Domesday survey, the parish church, the manor house and the watermill would have been recognisable buildings across England.

Andy discussed archaeological excavations in the last 75 years which have revealed a great deal about agricultural production and the lives of ordinary people in the Early Medieval Period. He spoke briefly about Roman watermills, including that at Ickham in Kent as well as potential medieval technological influences from Europe and the Islamic world. He then focussed on a series of ‘case study’ excavations including Old Windsor (which remains unpublished) in the 1950s, Tamworth in the 1970’s, Barking Abbey in the 1980’s and finally the rich evidence from the Ebbsfleet valley, Kent - fully excavated by Oxford Archaeology and Wessex Archaeology for the Eurostar high-speed railway.

All have contributed to expanding our knowledge of this important period in English history, previously known as the ‘Dark Ages’ but now, through archaeology, an era that we better understand.

Amongst the participants, there was a keen interest in further history talks and if readers have topic ideas or know of suitable lecturers, please email SPAB Mills Manager, Silvia McMenamin.

Image - Psalm 103 from the Luttrell Psalter. Public Domain - British Library via Wikimedia Commons