Weston Lower Mill

Formally Weston Cotton Mill, now Weston Lower Mill. Records indicate the existence of a mill c. 1550, quite likely on this site. This was burnt out in 1600 and subsequently rebuilt. The site at this time was believed to be owned by Oswestry School. It is likely that a Daniel Evans was a miller here at this time. In 1841 Edward Evans, woollen manufacturer, was employing about half a dozen weavers. His fulling mill appears on the 1839 field map as a fulling Mill. (See below) and appears to have been destroyed by fire and rebuilt as a corn mill. An article in "Bygones" puts this event in the 1860,s. During the early 1900's the site was believed to have been owned by Drew & Co of King Street, Oswestry. This was the time that the Bennett family began working at the mill. The bakery building on the east side of the yard was built in 1886 and the machinery in this building was connected to the main machinery of the Mill by a shaft which went under the yard. Three inspection covers were placed in the yard to access the greasing points on the shaft. It is believed that this shaft is still under the surface of the yard today. The mill ceased working in the 1930,s except for the generation of electicity. The mill resumed production of bread by the Bennett family from the early 1900's but finished in early 2000.

	Part of the 1839 field map of Weston Cotton showing Lower Weston Mill as a Fulling Mill. Note the two fields to the south of the mill are described as "bleaching ground". There is also no Mill pond at this time. Source Ken Owen
	1875 map showing the Weston lower mill, in the centre of the map. This shows the mill as a "flour mill". This map does not show the mill having a large mill pond. There is also no bakery building to the east of the mill as this was not built until 1886. The mill at the top left of the map was the upper Weston mill of which there are no longer any remains, again showing it as a "flour mill". Source Ken Owen
	Interesting receipt found recently on Ebay of Weston Mill. This shows the mill under the ownership of Richard Langford & Co. (After the death of Andrew Peate). Dated December 18th 1873. Source Steve Thomas (Welshpool Man)
	A check of the Border Advertizer records at Oswestry Library dated 18th January 1900 reveals the Obitury of Richard Langford. According to this information, Mr Langford left Weston Mill after 1893 and moved house to Montgomery, after resigning his office of Conservative Agent. Source Border Counties Advertizer.
	Early photo of workers and horse drawn and mechanical transport of the bakery at Weston Mill. Date unknown. Source John Bennett
	Late 1950's photo of John Bennett's parents Levin and Jean Bennett baking a batch of bread. Source John Bennett.
	Photo of John Bennett working in the mill in 1961
	Plan of Weston Bakery prior to building, dated Feb 10th 1886, drawn by E.E.Jones of Oswestry. Scale 8 feet to 1 inch. Source John Bennett
	January 2013 photo of the vehicle fleet together with John and brother Levin (Jnr) Bennett when the business finally closed. Source John Bennett
	Photo showing the East side of the Mill, the red brick building being the bakehouse, plan of which see above. . Source Ken Owen.
	Photo of the West side of the Mill. Note that the premises are up for sale (November 2013) Source Ken Owen.
	Mill pond at the rear of the mill Source Ken Owen.
	Steel paddle wheel in operation today (1-2-2014) Source Ken Owen.
	Cast iron wheel inside the mill, attached to the outside paddle wheel. Source Ken Owen.
	Diagram of the machinery in Weston Lower Mill. Source Gordon Hillier.
	Photo showing the Mill Race leaving the Mill. Source Ken Owen.
	Recent photo showing the River Morda coming out of the two arches in the centre of the photo and the Mill Race joining the river from the lower left corner Source Ken Owen.