ALFRETON STEAM CORN MILL, MILL YARD, SOMERCOTES, 1845
by SLHS on
Wednesday 19 July 2023
A steam operated corn mill was erected in 1845 on land located on Nottingham Road, Somercotes, at the head of the junction with the High Street. It was built before Oporto House and associated shops and houses that were not erected until c.1890. Mill Street, Somercotes takes its name from the corn mill. It was a substantial business most likely built where the Mill Street car park sits today.
Pigot’s Trade Directory published in 1849 states: “In 1845 a large corn-mill called Alfreton Steam Mill was erected by Mr. Chadborn; it is of 35-horses power, and works a pair of stones.” Chadborn is also listed as a Miller and Seed Merchant around this time.
John Truman Chadborn was born c.1822 in Pinxton. As far as can be ascertained he never lived in Somercotes. His father, also called John and mother Elizabeth (nee Truman) lived near Pinxton Wharf and were farmers and millers. In the census return of 1841 John lived with his then widowed mother whose occupation was recorded as ”miller and farmer.” She was 69 years old and it is likely that John, then aged just 20 and the eldest male of the family, ran the business possibly under his mother’s direction. The mill at Pinxton is believed to have been tenanted by the Chadborn’s and owned by D’Ewes Coke. By 1845 when the steam mill was erected John Chadborn had also leased or purchased the steam corn mill at Pye Bridge. It appears that he was building a local empire based on the farm at Pinxton and his mills. He married Alice Ashwell but the couple did not stay in the locality.
In 1849 Chadborn tried to lease the Mill. Notices were printed to that effect in several newspapers, including the Stamford Mercury on 2nd November that year. Unable to lease the Mill, the following year Chadborn sold the mill at auction. There are no records available to determine why he took the decision, but following census returns record him as a travelling salesman in Cheshire, finally culminating in the 1891 census at Ashton, Cheshire with his wife Alice and family. His occupation was described as a “commissioning agent for the sale of flour.” Certainly the substantial property at Somercotes would have been expensive to build, and it is possible that he simply outstretched himself financially.
The auction notice, published in the Nottinghamshire Guardian on 22nd August 1850 describes the buildings: “BY MR. R. WHITE. TO MILLERS, CORN FACTORS, AND OTHERS – To be SOLD by AUCTION, by Mr. ROBERT WHITE, at the George Inn, in Alfreton in the County of Derby, on Tuesday, the 27th day of August instant, at Three O’clock in the Afternoon. All that extensive and well-arranged STEAM CORN MILL, with the Stables, Carts, Sheds, and other necessary Out-offices near and belonging thereto, situate at Somercotes, in the Parish of Alfreton aforesaid. The Steam- Engine is 40 Horses power, with two Boilers of 25 Horses power each, and the Mill contains three pairs of French and three pairs of Grey Stones, with Drying Kiln, Shelling Apparatus, improved Corn Screen, Patent Meal Sifter, Bean Mill, and large Flour-dressing Machines with patent apparatus for feeding the same, and other necessary Machinery of improved construction. And also those Two newly and substantially-erected DWELLING-HOUSES, with the Gardens and all necessary Out-offices, one of which is adapted for the residence of the occupier of the Mill, having an excellent Counting- house attached, with a frontage and entrance to the Mill yard. And also the Close of GRASS LAND at the back of the above, with an excellent Brick Kiln standing thereon, and the bed of Clay is of superior quality. The whole of the Land, including the site of the Buildings, contains 2 Acres and 3 Roods, or thereabouts. The Premises are well adapted for carrying on an extensive business, and are situated in a populous Mining District, within an easy distance of the Market Towns of Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Mansfield and Belper and within one mile of the Cromford Canal and the proposed Station on the Erewash Valley Railway. The whole of the Land is of Freehold tenure. The Premises have been for some years past occupied by Mr. J. Chadborn, or his undertenants. Mr. Brough, Tiger Inn, Somercotes, will on application show the Premises. For further particulars apply at the Offices of Mr. H. Bruce Campbell, Solicitor, Nottingham. Nottingham, August 14th, 1850.” Although there is no documentary evidence, it is easy to speculate that the two “substantially-erected dwelling houses” mentioned in the auction notice are the semi-detached house that still stand on Mill Street today.
The entire lot was probably purchased by John Baguley, as he is known to have owned the property a few years later. Baguley was also not a native of Somercotes, although in the 1850s he owned several properties and land in the village. In an 1857 trade directory he is listed as the landlord (and proprietor) of the Old English Gentleman public house on Somercotes Hill, although his name does not appear in the 1851 or 1861 census returns for the area.
Bagulay kept his properties in Somercotes until 1857, when he seems to have consigned all of the land and buildings to auction, split into several lots. One lot was the public house, but Lots 3 and 4 related to the steam mill and all other buildings on the site. It is difficult to appreciate today on what a scale the steam mill was originally built. The mill itself would most likely have followed the pattern for traditional flour mills, and would have been built with three or four storeys. There would have been a large chimney, attached to the boiler house, with many outbuildings for wagons, horses and storage. It would have no doubt dominated the Somercotes landscape.
By 1857, the mill was no longer a working concern, and it would appear that Baguley had stripped the buildings of machinery, possibly to sell separately or to augment or build a mill elsewhere. An auction notice for the sale of the properties was published in several newspapers. The Nottinghamshire Guardian, of 8th January 1857, ran the notice, of which the relevant Lots only are transcribed here: “Lot 3 - Embraces the MILL BUILDING, ENGINE and BOILER HOUSES, and SHED attached. The Mill will be sold as a Shell, without Machinery, Floors, or Windows. This Lot as well as Lot 2 might be converted into Cottages at a trifling outlay. Lot 4 - Includes the immense MILL CHIMNEY, in which will be found more than 50,000 of good Bricks, massive Granite Blocks, Mettle Tops, &c. &c. To Parties acquainted with the locality of this Property not one word of comment is necessary. The situation either for general Business or Building is undeniable. It lies just midway between the Town of Alfreton and the Pye Bridge Station, One Mile and a Half from each place; also within fifteen minutes walk of the Somercotes Iron Works and the justly celebrated new Birchwood Collieries, and is in the very centre of the richest Mineral District to the whole county, the true value of which is only just being developed. Plans of the Property may be had of the Owner, on the Premises, or from the Auctioneer, at Swanwick, ten days prior to the day of Sale - The Farming Stock, Hay, Straw, Manure, with valuable Waggon, Carts, Implements (all nearly new), Brewing Vessels, Counters, Flour Bins, and a portion of Furniture, will be Sold shortly after this Sale, of which due notice will be given.”
The result of the auction is not known. Certainly the buildings stood for many more years until a storm swept England in 1883, causing great damage across the country. Locally trees were uprooted in Riddings Park and buildings damaged in Alfreton and many surrounding villages. The Derbyshire Times & Chesterfield Herald published on 15th December 1883 ran a short report on damage the storm had caused to the old steam mill: “One of the most striking instances of the power of the wind occurred at Somercotes. Near the entrance of the village from Alfreton there is an old steam mill, which for years, owing to its dilapidated condition, has not been used for the purpose for which it was originally erected. Of late it has been utilised as a place for storing wood, and sawing operations have been carried on. One part of it has also been used as shelter for traps and other vehicles. When the storm was at its height the building completely collapsed. In the fall the conveyances were smashed to pieces. A large stone fell upon the roof of a dwelling-house close by and penetrated into a bedroom occupied by some children. Fortunately the bed was missed or some serious personal injury might have been inflicted.”
It would look as if the steam mill was demolished shortly after this event. By around 1890 Oporto House had been built on the land fronting Nottingham Road. In 1891 George Beastall was before the Alfreton Brewster Sessions requesting an off-licence to sell beers, wines and spirits and by the mid-1890s was described as a wine and spirit merchant, of Oporto House. The building was extended to include the archway and brewery buildings in 1901. The old mill site would have been cleared for the building of “Oporto House”, and no trace now exists of the steam corn mill, any remains of which lie under the Mill Yard Car Park.