Promoting awareness of the archaeology and history of north Devon
Promoting awareness of the archaeology and history of north Devon
Time Team Dig at Dotton - Hazel Parker (Newsletter No 12 2006)
NDAS volunteers were invited to assist at a Time Team dig held early in July at the site of Dotton Mill in East Devon. The aim of the dig was to answer various questions including ‘how old was the mill that was demolished in 1968’ and ‘was there an earlier mill elsewhere on the leat?’
The Devon County SMR (now HER) records that the mill was operational until 1946 and was demolished in 1968. When the record was compiled in 1980 the leat at the site was still traceable from the weir, but by the time it was amended in 2001 no trace of mill or leat was visible. It is thought that it was a grist mill (ie. a mill for grinding grain), which was constructed of tarred brick with either an over-shot or breastshot wheel (an over-shot wheel is turned by the force of water falling on paddles at the top, whereas a breast-shot wheel is turned by the force of water acting on the paddles around the horizontal). Attached to the mill was the miller’s cottage.
Time Team had been contacted by Laura Whittock, who had done a lot of research at the site to compile an ‘A’ level essay. Laura had built up a sequence of construction and demolition of the complex of ten buildings associated with the mill at various times and, although the population of the hamlet never exceeded more than five families, it did have its own church, indicating a stable community.
Recorded in the Domesday Book, the mill site now belongs to Clinton Estates. In Domesday Book it was recorded as belonging to Baldwin, the Sheriff of Devon. It was then passed on to the Cistercian monks from Dunkeswell Abbey, then to the Duke family of Otterton. It later went into the hands of the Rolle Family and William Farrant took up the tenancy of the mill c.1640; it passed through three generations of his family. After this the Stokes family took over as millers, with the Carter family occupying the mill for much of the 19th century. Mr Lethbridge then ran the mill with the Creed family taking over the roll of millers in the dilapidated building upon his death in 1936.
The mill was last used in 1946 and was demolished in 1968 because it was considered unsafe.
Mary Houldsworth, Pat Fishleigh and I arrived at the site on Day One and were introduced to Jon Willers, the researcher for Time Team.We were to be pot washers. By the early afternoon we still had no pottery to wash, so we were shown around the site. Trench One was dug on the site of the known mill, with Phil Harding as trench supervisor. This would be the main site for the three days; however a small trench (Trench Two) was opened on the suspected line of the leat. Mary and I were soon in there; having been asked to dig we were in quicker than you could say “I’ll get my trowel”! A stone revetment had been uncovered, dating it to the medieval period, so at around 4pm it was decided that a scene should be shot, and it would be the one that ended Day One on the programme.
Day Two saw Dave and Judy Parker and June Aiken arrive as pot washers, along with Mary and myself as diggers. It was very hot and dusty, so the trenches were surrounded by bottles of water and sun block. A lot of pottery had been discovered on the site, with John Allen on hand to examine it. All of it was medieval, with occasional pieces of North Devon Ware and Somerset Slip Ware. I was in Trench Four for the day, digging with Matt, Brigid and Helen from Time Team. The trench was opened as the ground penetrating radar had shown some anomalies, which could indicate a pre-existing mill, as well as a tailrace.
Another trench had also been opened, which was on the site of the miller’s cottage. A lovely area of terracotta coloured square tiles was uncovered, all of which were intact and none were chipped; they were going to be removed to see what they covered. After lunch it was all systems go and in the afternoon there was a lot of excitement in Trench One as a fully intact grinding stone had been uncovered.Would an older mill be proved to have existed in Trench Four? What could the millstone tell us? Could the miller’s cottage provide us with any dates? Tomorrow would reveal all.
The final day arrived and it was the hottest so far. Again Mary and I arrived to dig and Derry Bryant, Brian Hummerston, Stephen Hobbs and Malcolm Faulkner were on hand to do the pot washing. As yesterday, the drone of mechanical diggers could be heard as we descended the lane to the site. It was 9.10am and there was an excited buzz. Mick Aston was discussing with Helen and Tim Taylor what the plan would be for the day regarding Trench Four. They decided that the trench needed to be extended, with an area within the trench dug deeper to investigate the leat. Mary and I worked in this trench for the morning, with Derry multi-tasking - pot washing and helping us out.
After lunch I was set to work in the miller’s cottage trench. Mary was put to work with Phil Harding in Trench One and stayed there for the afternoon’s filming. This trench revealed another whole grinding stone, which again was set in the ground very close to the one previously discovered.
By the end of Day Three, the leat had been confirmed
and various samples had been sent off for carbon dating. All of the results
and findings of the dig will be shown when the program is aired January-March
2007.