Chesterton Mill circa 1900

Chesterton Mills, French’s Mill, Cambridge

History of Chesterton Mills

Listed building

Early C19. Smockmill. Tower circa 50′ high. Gault brick base with weather- boarding above. Cap remaining, but sails and tailfan missing.

William Beart, a maltster, acquired a plot on which he built a substantial smock mill in 1847. William French acquired a lease on the mill and bought some of the surrounding fields. He bought the freehold for £440 in 1850 after William Beart’s death. The business continued until 1956.

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1913

W French and Son, millers, Chesterton Mills

Maurice French

Edwin French

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See A Community Remembers: Histon Road p.24:

https://www.chestertonmill.com/about/

https://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/chesterton-mill-cambridge/

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Chesterton Mill renovated as offices — 11 June 1986
Chesterton Mill, in French’s Road was built in 1847 but has stood derelict for the last 30 years. The eight-sided smock mill was only partially successful when driven by wind so the sails were removed in the 1890s and it was subsequently driven by steam, suction gas and diesel. It has now been renovated and starts a new lease of life as the home of Cambridge public relations firm Beveridge Kartupelis. 86 06 11a

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Road Area Scrapbook, reference 86 06 11a

History and new use of French’s Mill — 28 August 1986
French’s Mill was built on a high point in Chesterton in 1847 by William Beart. It was a wooden-walled smock mill but didn’t catch enough wind, so it was jacked up and an eight-sided brick base added. But it was still not satisfactory so in 1868 William French converted it to run on steam power. Later the sails were removed and gas engines installed, to be replaced by diesel 14 years later. At its peak small bakers used the it regularly but when the adjoining land was taken as playing fields for St Peter’s School it looked as if the mill was doomed. Now it has begun a new life as an office suite and the surrounding buildings house ten other small companies playing their part in the technology boom 86 08 28

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Road Area Scrapbook, reference 86 08 28