I was out visiting a different site with @Chloe Explores when we passed this place. i’ve not been here before so off we went for a look and hoping it wasn’t sealed tight.
looking on here i see it’s been done a lot and is seen as a soggy old derp but i love a soggy derp and this place is spectacular so this is my take on it.
access was not a problem, it looked to have been open some time with the breeze blocks keeping people out having been knocked out. inside were 3 floors connected by ladders, the floors have rotted away in places but i was surprised how sturdy the first ladder was but i didn’t lea the safety of it and take a chance with the first floor.
one room was open all the way to the non existent roof, no floors either they were lying at the bottom of the room covered in green slime and extremely slippery. Absolutely stunning. to the rear of the building is the remains of the water mill and we also found that access to the warehouse type property to be open too, two huge graffiti covered rooms with the remains of an office in the corner and some machinery.
i really loved this place, it’s very slippery and dangerous in places but to me was a wonderful explore.
History -
i tried to find a little different history from previous reports but it was hard. for something that is Listed and historical i am once again surprised. here is what i did find :
The old picture i have included is from 1947
The mill is a Grade II Listed Building. KINGS SOMBORNE HORSEBRIDGE SU 33 SW 4/48 Horsebridge Mill and Mill House II Mill and attached mill house. Early C19, late C20 extension. Brick, pantile roof. 5 bay, 3 storey and attic mill, with 2 storey, 4 bay mill house to right with wing to rear of left and taller 2 storey 4 bay C20 addition. Mill has race under left bay. 2nd bay from right has door on each floor with segmental head to lower 2. On roof overhanding above this bay luccam. In other bays C19 cast-iron segmental head 24-pane window. Inside construction of cast-iron columns and I-beams by Joseph of Ringwood. Under left bay remains of an Armfield of Ringwood turbine and sluice gate gear. House has C20 6-panel door and fanlight under open porch of brick piers. To right bay C18 16-pane sash under rubbed brick arch and similar above. In other bays 5 early C19 16-pane sashes under segmental heads. Stack on ridge between left bays. C20 addition in matching style.
“The mill was built in 1884; the previous structure was destroyed in a fire reported in the Sussex Advertiser, 30-9-1884. In the early twentieth century a two-sack roller plant was installed. A further fire in 1908 caused damage to the plant. Waterpower was used until 1945; a steam engine was used sparingly. After 1945 the mill relied on electricity.
The low breastshot waterwheel of 17ft diam. x 8ft 10in width was still in situ in the 1990s”
[Source: Derek Stidder & Colin Smith, Watermills of Sussex. Volume I - East Sussex. Baron Birch 1997]
The waterwheel is still there today.
There are some great pictures of the mill over the years at https://catalogue.millsarchive.org/watermill-horsebridge.
planning permission was granted for flats to be built but from what i understand the property is no longer available, am unsure if it is owned by developers or not.
looking on here i see it’s been done a lot and is seen as a soggy old derp but i love a soggy derp and this place is spectacular so this is my take on it.
access was not a problem, it looked to have been open some time with the breeze blocks keeping people out having been knocked out. inside were 3 floors connected by ladders, the floors have rotted away in places but i was surprised how sturdy the first ladder was but i didn’t lea the safety of it and take a chance with the first floor.
one room was open all the way to the non existent roof, no floors either they were lying at the bottom of the room covered in green slime and extremely slippery. Absolutely stunning. to the rear of the building is the remains of the water mill and we also found that access to the warehouse type property to be open too, two huge graffiti covered rooms with the remains of an office in the corner and some machinery.
i really loved this place, it’s very slippery and dangerous in places but to me was a wonderful explore.
History -
i tried to find a little different history from previous reports but it was hard. for something that is Listed and historical i am once again surprised. here is what i did find :
The old picture i have included is from 1947
The mill is a Grade II Listed Building. KINGS SOMBORNE HORSEBRIDGE SU 33 SW 4/48 Horsebridge Mill and Mill House II Mill and attached mill house. Early C19, late C20 extension. Brick, pantile roof. 5 bay, 3 storey and attic mill, with 2 storey, 4 bay mill house to right with wing to rear of left and taller 2 storey 4 bay C20 addition. Mill has race under left bay. 2nd bay from right has door on each floor with segmental head to lower 2. On roof overhanding above this bay luccam. In other bays C19 cast-iron segmental head 24-pane window. Inside construction of cast-iron columns and I-beams by Joseph of Ringwood. Under left bay remains of an Armfield of Ringwood turbine and sluice gate gear. House has C20 6-panel door and fanlight under open porch of brick piers. To right bay C18 16-pane sash under rubbed brick arch and similar above. In other bays 5 early C19 16-pane sashes under segmental heads. Stack on ridge between left bays. C20 addition in matching style.
“The mill was built in 1884; the previous structure was destroyed in a fire reported in the Sussex Advertiser, 30-9-1884. In the early twentieth century a two-sack roller plant was installed. A further fire in 1908 caused damage to the plant. Waterpower was used until 1945; a steam engine was used sparingly. After 1945 the mill relied on electricity.
The low breastshot waterwheel of 17ft diam. x 8ft 10in width was still in situ in the 1990s”
[Source: Derek Stidder & Colin Smith, Watermills of Sussex. Volume I - East Sussex. Baron Birch 1997]
The waterwheel is still there today.
There are some great pictures of the mill over the years at https://catalogue.millsarchive.org/watermill-horsebridge.
planning permission was granted for flats to be built but from what i understand the property is no longer available, am unsure if it is owned by developers or not.
