OSWESTRY BORDERLAND HERITAGE
Visitors: 111575


Dyffryn Tanat and Region Development Trust
Chairman Ken Owen QGM
Consultant David Higman MBE

The Ball Mill


This mill has been an important flour mill and in the early days around 1840s and later was worked by Mr John Lea, a well known Methodist of his day. Mr Thomas Hughes came here in the 1870s from Escob Mill (Nr St Martins), and after him Mr Thomas Bather, a well known milling figure of his time at Oswestry and other markets - who earlier in his career worked for many years the large mill at Maesbury Hall until it was taken over by the well known firm A & A Peate.
At one time the mill ran two lorries and three workmen worked in the mill.

Copy of plan of the sale of the Ball Mill kindly loaned by the present owner. Date to be established.

Source Ken Owen

The mill, Ball Lane Maesbury, as it is today. Totally original and according to the owner,a mill has stood on this site since the doomsday book was published. The mill was operating until the mid 1960's and all the original working machinery is still in place.

Source Ken Owen.

Rear view of the mill showing two paddle wheels run by an overshoot water trough.

Source Ken Owen.

Weir below the start of the Mill Race.

Source Ken Owen

Photo of the winding gear above the weir at the start of the mill race.

Source Ken Owen

Mill race coming through the field off the River Morda, onto the galvanised trough

Source Ken Owen.

Metal trough above the two mill wheels

. Source Ken Owen.

Article from the Border Counties Advertizer, dated 25th January 1888, showing the death of Sarah Bather. It is interesting that the address given is Gwernole Cottage, Llangedwyn.

Article taken from the Border Counties Advertizer, dated 11th October 1893 stating that Thomas Bather attended Wrexham Bankruptcy Court the previous day. This article shows that Thomas was working the Maesbury Ball Mill at that time.

Original calender from 1964 when Frank Woolrich was operating the Ball Mill

Copy of a page from the original Ball Mill invoice book dated April 1954, kindly loaned by the present owner of the Ball Mill.


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