Hinxton Mill

History of Hinxton Mill

Listed Building

Watermill and attached cottage. Cottage C17 with additions c.1766 (dated stack). Mill late C18 with C19 alterations. Timber-framed, plastered and weatherboarded; C19 gault brick. … The mill was last used in 1950 and is now owned by the Cambridge Cottage Preservation Society.

The Domesday book records 3 mills in 1086, worth 21s, 8s and 4d a year.

1279 a water mill is shared between the Hinxton manors

1698 one remaining water mill.

1781 An apprentice to the miller, Thomas Beans, had a term of indenture of 7 years for which 5s premium paid.

1870 advert in Cambridge Chronicle: a water corn mill with a good trade – driving three pairs of stones – immediate possession may be had.

1881 census: Mill House

Isaac Kemp, 68, agricultural labourer, b Hinxton

Elizabeth, 69, b Essex

Fred, 31, agricultural labourer, b Hinxton

1901

Fred Speed, 30, yardman on farm, b Hinxton

Mary A, 39, b Longstanton

Annie, 8, b Hinxton

Ellen, 7, b Hinxton

John, 6, b Hinxton

Mary, 3, b Hinxton

Hinxton, OS 1885

1913 water turbine installed after the death of the miller’s son who fell into the waterwheel and died.

1939 Mill Cottage

Algernon Croot, b 1877, miller and labourer

Annie Croot, b 1874

Algernon Croot,  b 1907, shop assistant grocery

1955 business closed. Algy Coot, son of last miller continued living in miller’s cottage.

1984 mill purchased by Cambridge Preservation Society.

Hinxton Mill (RGL2024)

Hinxton Mill (RGL2024)

Hinxton Mill (RGL2024)

1998 Algernon Croot lived at Mill Cottage from 1913 until 1998. He was the church organist but achieved fame in the 1980s when he was taken into Addenbrookes hospital with malnutrition. Mr Croot was also a cyclist; he lived with his mother Annie until her death at 95. Algernon was once locked into the church by the vicar by accident and had to ring the church bells in order to be set free. He lost a job as a baker’s delivery boy when he allowed his horse to eat part of a yew hedge at the parsonage; the horse subsequently died. Later, during a threatened bread shortage he hoarded bread and even when it was covered in blue mould, proceeded to eat it. (See The Life and Times of Hinxton, 2000)