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King's Mill, Granta PlaceKing’s Mill and Bishop’s Mill, Granta Place
History of King's Mill site
The Domesday Book, 1086, attests the presence of two mills on the River Granta (Cam), one belonging to the Abbot of Ely and the other to a certain Count Alan. The two mills in question are probably the Bishop’s Mill and the Newnham Mill. The King’s Mill was probably erected slightly later and right next to the Bishop’s Mill.
Lease 1507 of the Bishop’s Mill, Cambridge (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/1/C/10/55)
1507 On the 9th July James Stanley, Bishop of Ely, agrees to lease the Bishop’s Mill to the Corporation of Cambridge with all commodities, profits and meadows attached. The lease is for 99 years from Christmas Day. The rent is £9 10s and the Corporation of Cambridge has to agree to pay for the repair of the mill and dam.
Seal of Lease 1507 of the Bishop’s Mill, Cambridge (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/1/C/10/55)
Seal of Lease 1507 of the Bishop’s Mill, Cambridge (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/1/C/10/55)
Lease 1507 of the Bishop’s Mill, Cambridge (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/1/C/10/55)
The Corporation of Cambridge then sublets the mill to a number of people including Hugh Chapman, Thomas Simpson (1566 lease) who also owns the lease for the King’s Mill, and Oliver Flynt (1572 lease).
Lease 1567 of King’s Mill to Thomas Simpson (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/2/CL/17/1 page 23 & 24)
Lease 1567 of King’s Mill to Thomas Simpson (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/2/CL/17/1 page 23 & 24)
Lease 1567 of King’s Mill to Thomas Simpson (courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/2/CL/17/1 page 23 & 24)
Front page of Corporation of Cambridge Lease book, 16th century (Courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives, KCB/2/CL/17/1)
1572 lease of the Bishop’s Mill to Oliver Flint from Corporation of Cambridge (Cambridgeshire Archives KCB/2/CL/17/1/35r)
1572 lease of the Bishop’s Mill to Oliver Flint from Corporation of Cambridge (Cambridgeshire Archives KCB/2/CL/17/1/35r)
1572 lease of the Bishop’s Mill to Oliver Flint from Corporation of Cambridge (Cambridgeshire Archives KCB/2/CL/17/1/35r)
For more information see Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol 14, 1910. Dr Stokes, The Old Mills of Cambridge, pp180-233.
The King’s Mill can be seen on Richard Lyne’s 1574 map, straddling the eastern tributary of the river.
Richard Lyne map of Cambridge 1574
In the 1575 map by George Braun, the mill can be seen from a different perspective.
Braun map of Cambridge 1574
The mill is visible in the Speed 1610 map.
Speed 1610 map of Cambridge
It is labelled King’s Mill in Custance’s 1789 map.
Custance 1789 map of Cambridge
Plan of King’s and Bishop’s Mill produced for 1842 sale brochure of James’ Nutter’s properties (Cambridgeshire Archives)
1842 Auction catalogue of James Nutter’s properties (Cambridgeshire Archives K132/T/348)
1842_Sale_of_Nutter_properties
The brochure contains a detailed description of the two mills.
26th May 1842, purchase of King’s Mill by Ebenezer Foster for £2940 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
10th November 1842, lease to assign premises at back of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington (Cambridgeshire Archives K132/T354)
10th November 1842, lease to assign premises at back of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington (Cambridgeshire Archives K132/T354)
10th November 1842, lease to assign premises at back of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington (Cambridgeshire Archives K132/T354)
Lease of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington, 11th November 1842 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
ease of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington, 11th November 1842 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
ease of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington, 11th November 1842 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
ease of Bishop’s Mill to James Torkington, 11th November 1842 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
The editor of Romilly’s Cambridge Diary (May 1846) notes that there were two medieval watermills on the Cam at the end of Mill Lane. The King’s miller had had first claim in time of drought and if at other times he had no corn to grind the Bishop’s miller could use the supply on payment of a portion.
c.1850 ‘Bird Eye’ view
Water Mills (1)
Water Mills (2)
H.P.Stokes relates the story of the Cambridge mills in The Old Mills of Cambridge, PCAS vol.14. Two shared the same roof. One, the Bishop’s Mill, had belonged to the Abbot of Ely at the time of the Domesday survey. The other, the King’s Mill, had been erected soon afterwards. Both were acquired by Ebenezer Foster in 1842 but when the railway arrived he built new mills in Station Road.
The following description of the old mill comes from Period Piece (pub 1952) by Gwen Raverat who lived nearby:
In those days both the mills were in use. I still now feel that there is an unnatural gap in the landscape where Foster’s Mill used to stand before it was pulled down; and I find it hard to believe that the boys, who sit fishing on the parapet, have no idea that there once was a
great mill behind them. We used to spend many hours watching the fat corn-sacks being hauled up by a pulley into the overhanging gable, sometimes from a barge, but more often from the great yellow four-horse wagons, which stood beneath the trapdoor. The sacks butted the trapdoors open with their own noses, and the doors fell to, with a loud clap, behind them.
Painting by J Sutton (©R Lilley) believed to be early 20th century
King’s Mill & Bishop’s Mill c1890 (MoC354/54)
King’s and Bishop’s Mill (MoC)
King’s and Bishop’s Mill (MoC)
1871 Foster’s Yard
William Prime, 44, labourer, b Barton
1879
1879 Transfer of Lease of King’s Mill by Corporation of Cambridge to Ebenezer Bird Foster (courtesy Cambs Archives K132/T/354)
1879 Transfer of Lease of King’s Mill by Corporation of Cambridge to Ebenezer Bird Foster (courtesy Cambs Archives K132/T/354)
1879 Transfer of Lease of King’s Mill by Corporation of Cambridge to Ebenezer Bird Foster (courtesy Cambs Archives K132/T/354)
1879 Transfer of Lease of King’s Mill by Corporation of Cambridge to Ebenezer Bird Foster (courtesy Cambs Archives K132/T/354)
1879 Transfer of Lease of King’s Mill by Corporation of Cambridge to Ebenezer Bird Foster (courtesy Cambs Archives K132/T/354)
1879 Transfer of Lease of King’s Mill by Corporation of Cambridge to Ebenezer Bird Foster (courtesy Cambs Archives K132/T/354)
1909
By 1909 a report commissioned by the Corporation of Cambridge shows that the mills which were part of the Fosters’ estates are seriously delapidated and have lost much of their value. The Town will eventually purchase the estate and demolish the mills.
Fosters_1909 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
Schedule of Foster’s properties 1909 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
Supplemental Report on Foster properties 1909 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
1910
Foster estate Valuation 1910 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
For Mary Greene’s reminiscences of the mills see her autobiography, The Joy of Remembering.
1924
King’s and Bishop’s Mill, 1924 (photo Scott and Wilkinson)
Plan of King’s and Bishops’s Mill area 1924 (Courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives KCB/2/SE/1/1/127/3)
Plan of King’s and Bishops’s Mill area 1924 (Courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archives KCB/2/SE/1/1/127/3)
1926
Map relating to development plans on site of King’s Mill, 1926 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
Map relating to development plans on site of King’s Mill, 1926 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
Diagram relating to development plans on site of King’s Mill, 1926 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
Map relating to development plans on site of King’s Mill, 1926 (Cambridgeshire Archives)
1928
King’s and Bishop’s Mill, site clearance 1928 (photo J Palmer Clarke)(MoC355.54)(MoC562/85)
The site was originally going to be cleared to make a new bridge. This scheme collapsed and the Council decided just to clear the area and reconstruct the sluices and slipway. The cottages in the background were replaced by the University Centre in 1967.
King’s Mill site (MoC)
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