| Abstract: |
Prior to the submission of a planning application for the proposed redevelopment of Ure Mill, Old Hall Road, Ulverston, Cumbria, Greenlane Archaeology was commissioned to carry out an archaeological building recording. This record provides suitable information about the history of the building so that a better understanding of its development can be obtained, which in turn can be used to assess the impact of any proposed alterations. While there is evidence for prehistoric and Roman activity in and around the town, the town of Ulverston itself has its origins in the early medieval period, with later medieval and post-medieval developments. The origins of Ure Mill are uncertain, but it was probably the site of one of a number of mills recorded in the town from the 13th century onwards, the majority of which were confiscated by the Crown in the 16th century and then sold off. Ure Mill eventually became part of the estates of Swarthmoor Hall, before passing into private hands in the 18th century. Maps show a mill building on site from at least the mid-19th century, when the site was known as 'Higher Mill' and operated as a corn mill. However, the maps do not reveal if elements of this building are incorporated into the later buildings marked on site. The tithe map and first edition 1:10,560 Ordnance Survey map of the area, both dated 1850, show a single building on-site, whereas maps from the late 19th century onwards show more than one rectangular building. Plans dating from 1876 show that the building was altered significantly at that time, probably to the current footprint. The Ordnance Survey maps indicate that it was a corn mill initially, then a brush factory, then a corn mill again, before going out of use in the early 20th century. A detailed series of drawings also show how it was proposed to be converted into an ‘Emergency Feeding Kitchen’ in c1941. The documentary sources provide some information about the owners and occupiers, with it remaining a corn mill until 1876, when it was converted into a brush factory. It was also possibly later used as part of a foundry and engineers and may have been subject to a devasting fire in c1890, before returning to corn milling and ultimately closing in about 1930. Finally, it was used as a garage and then a builder’s yard. The building recording demonstrated that the majority of the extant structure relates to the reconfiguration carried out in 1876, although it is likely that earlier elements were incorporated within this. The structure was then subject to some more minor modifications in the later 19th century, and a number of more substantial changes in the early 20th, some probably relating to its use as an ‘Emergency Feeding Kitchen’ in c1941. More recently smaller changes have been made, including covering the exterior in concrete render, which have hidden much of the surviving original fabric. The mill, although not listed, is a locally important historic structure with a complex story of use and development. Sympathetic redevelopment should improve its appearance and retain the main elements of the historic fabric, while providing it with a new lease of life. |
