The Mills Place

Place Mill. Mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 and valued at 30 shillings a year. Being the property of the Canons of the Holy Trinity Church. Place Mill has medieval stonework and Tudor and 18th Century brickwork and was used for both fulling ~ the cleaning and thickening of cloth and Corn Grinding until 1908. Now the Mill is looked after by Christchurch Council who are renovating the building. The resident caretaker so to speak is well known artist Cherie Wheatcroft the professional Wildlife and Landscape artist who exhibits her famous paintings here. Christchurch Quay, from the quay you can find a ferry that will take you over to Hengistbury Head, also a little further along the Quay there is a ferry boat ( named the Wick Ferry ) that will take you across the river to the pretty village of Wick or even onto the Tuckton tea rooms. This ferry started around 1880 by Eli Miller, and only cost then, a halfpenny to cross the river. Christchurch was founded in the 7th century at the confluence of the rivers Avon and Stour which flow into Christchurch Harbour. The town was originally named Twynham but became known as Christchurch following the construction of the priory in 1094. The town developed into an important trading port and was fortified in the 9th century. Further defences were added in the 12th century with the construction of a castle which was destroyed by the Parliamentarian Army during the English Civil War. During the 18th and 19th centuries smuggling flourished in Christchurch and became one of the town's most lucrative industries. The town was heavily fortified during Second World War as a precaution against an expected invasion and in 1940 a Airspeed factory was established on the town's airfield which manufactured aircraft for the Royal Air Force. Smuggling was one of Christchurch's most lucrative industries during the 18th and 19th centuries due to easy access to neighbouring towns and the difficult harbour entrance which acted as a barrier to customs cutters. Many townspeople were involved in this illegal trade and large quantities of wealth were accumulated. In 1784 a confrontation between a gang of local smugglers and Customs and Excise officers led to the Battle of Mudeford in which a Royal Navy officer was killed and a smuggler subsequently executed. Another important industry during this period was the manufacture of fusee chains for watches and clocks. In 1790, Robert Cox began to manufacture fusee chains in workshops in the High Street. By 1793 Cox gained a monopoly on chain production in Britain, supplying watch, clock and chronometer makers throughout the country. In 1845 William Hart opened a similar factory in Bargates. However by 1875 the chains were no longer required due to changes in watch designs and the factories were closed.
Sep 30th, 2019

Feb 7th, 2019

So crazy to think how old this place is. Love the history of it. Definitely worth a look
Dec 12th, 2018