Another trip back in time, and another Midsomer Location. This time it's Hambleden Mill, which lies almost a mile south of yesterday's location of Hambleden. It is situated on the banks of the River Thames. There are around 30 houses, and a large water powered mill on the east bank of the river.
Hambleden Mill is linked by a footbridge to Hambleden Lock, which is on the west bank of the river. It was Grade II listed in 1955 and has now been converted into flats.
An earlier mill at here is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was held by Queen Matilda and had a rent of 20 shillings/year, as well as a fishery that yielded 1,000 eels annually.
The oldest part of the present mill building was built in the late 18th century, possibly incorporating part of an earlier 17th century mill. This now forms the southern end of the building and has three main floors plus an attic, making it the tallest part of the building. This wing has half-hipped gables and plain tiles on the roof. A 19th century addition to the west, two stories high with a slate roof, stretches along the river front.
The mill was still in use in the 1950s having been upgraded from the original waterwheel and grinding stones to a water-turbine driving steel rollers in about 1939. It had fallen out of use by the early 1970s, and planning permission for conversion to apartments was granted in 1974, when it was extensively renovated.
The mill is adjacent to a series of weirs which stretch across the River Thames, running diagonally across the river, to Hambleden Lock, which is on the western bank of the river. The weir raises the upstream water level, which both provided the fast flow of water for the original watermill, and maintains a navigable depth of water above the weir. The lock raises or lowers boats travelling up and down the river past the weir. A footbridge follows the line of the weir right across the Thames, allowing pedestrian access between the path alongside Hambleden Mill and the Thames riverside path which runs in both directions on the western side of the river.
The weir and walkway can be seen in the top left shot. The building top right is one of a small number of riverside houses. The mill can be seen in the bottom left shot, and the bottom right shot shows the lock cottage.
As you can imagine, the walkway provides an irresistable location for a murder location, and sure enough Midsomer Murders used this location. It was also used in an episode of Lewis.
It is a beautiful location, and the Thames Trail (a long distance footpath) runs on the west bank of the river past here.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I'm pleased that you are enjoying this series - it has certainly brought back some wonderful memories for me.
Three of these shots were taken in April 2015 at the end of a walk from Marlow, the fourth shot of the lock house was from a year earlier on a walk from Henley on Thames past the lock.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I'm pleased that you are enjoying this series - it has certainly brought back some wonderful memories for me.
Three of these shots were taken in April 2015 at the end of a walk from Marlow, the fourth shot of the lock house was from a year earlier on a walk from Henley on Thames past the lock.
Ian
Thank you, it was a lovely place to visit.
Ian