Listed Building record MDO14030 - Walling attached to the Malthouse, Church Street, Abbotsbury

The Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society made a full record of the remains of the water mill during the winter of 1984-5. This work revealed that the building known as the 'Old Malthouse' was actually the abbey water mill. An east wing of uncertain function was added in the late 14th century of which only the western wall remains.

The Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society made a full record of the remains of the water mill during the winter of 1984-5, although not finally completed till November 1985. The archaeological work entailed a full buildings survey of the remains of the mill and a record of the below ground remains. This latter record involved a small amount of archaeological excavation. This work revealed that the building known as the 'Old Malthouse' was actually the abbey water mill.

'Extending southwards from a junction with the mill-house just east of the central arch is a long wall, built of substantial ashlar masonry, which was originally the west wall of a now largely demolished building. This was at least 21m long and 8m wide, and its east wall was a straight continuation of the east wall of the mill house. Only the west wall of this wing now remains.'

it appears to be a later 14th century addition to the mill-house. The evidence for this date rests largely on the fact that the new wing destroys the symmetry of the south façade of the mill-house and that the surviving wall retains an original 14th century window. The function of the east wing is uncertain, there is no evidence for an upper floor and there is a single small doorway in the centre of the wall. There is no evidence for internal stone walls which may suggest a hall-like building (1).

Graham, A H, and Farmer, D O, 1991, Medieval and post-medieval millstones from the Old Malthouse, Abbotsbury, Dorset; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SWX721.

<1> Graham, A H, 1986, The Old Malthouse Abbotsbury: the medieval watermill of the Benedictine Abbey; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SWX782.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 2:40PM