Monument record 0042400000 - SPRING HILL/MILL HILL

Summary

Historical records of medieval to post-medieval windmill at Mill Hill, Grendon Underwood - A mill at Grendon is documented from 1234 to 1735, but it had gone shortly after that date. The site of the mill is probably represented by an enclosure, surrounded by rig and furrow, within which is a circular depression and possible ditch or terrace.The earthwork remains of an elongated mound (presumed to be the mill site) within and respected by the ridge and furrow cultivation can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 2006 by English Heritage as part of the Reconnaissance Recording programme.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Site of Medieval and post-medieval windmill (DBC8931)
SHINE: Grendon Underwood medieval moated site and ridge and furrow earthworks (DBC7471)

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Type and Period (1)

WINDMILL (13th Century to 18th Century - 1200 AD to 1799 AD)

Description

1695 & 1758 MAPS MARK WINDMILL APPROX AT NGR (B1-2).
1234: H TYES ALLOWED 30 LOGS FROM ROYAL FOREST AT GRENDON TO BUILD A WINDMILL HERE (B3).
DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES TO WINDMILL IN 1234 & AS LATE AS 1735, BUT NOT SHOWN ON JEFFERYS OR BRYANT MAPS, SO PRESUMABLY GONE SOON AFTER. 1614 LEASE REFERS TO MILL MOUNT. SITE - PLACENAME 'MILL HILL'. 1614 LEASE LISTS THE MILL FIXTURES AND FITTINGS AND INCLUDES AN INVENTORY OF TOOLS (B4).
SPUR OF 'MILL HILL' ONLY LIKELY LOCATION. ROUND DEPRESSION HERE (B5).

There are references to a mill at Grendon between 1234 and 1735 but it was gone soon after that date. The article refers specifically to 'Mill Mount'. The name Mill Hill occurs at SP 68202136 on the OS 6" (B6).

SP 68202136 Traces of a mill are visible on an 'island' surrounded by ridge and furrow. The 'island' enclosure, 58.0m E-W by 20.0m N-S and 1.7m high, possibly accentuated by ploughing, is situated at the S end of a prominent ridge and extends for 40.0m down its W slope.
The site of the mill within the enclosure, is marked by a circular depression, 8.0m diameter and 0.3m deep on the crest of the ridge. West of the depression, the natural slope is scarped, 0.9m high, and to the east is a possibly ditch or terrace, 6.0m wide and 0.3m deep.
Surveyed at 1:2500 for record purposes only (B7).

The earthwork remains of an elongated mound (presumed to be the mill site described by the previous authorities) within and respected by the ridge and furrow cultivation can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 2006 by English Heritage as part of the Reconnaissance Recording programme (B8).

NRHE inser 1998, Update 2009 (B9).

Sources (9)

<1>SBC9188 Map: MORDEN E 1695 MAP OF BUCKS.
<2>SBC1786 Map: BOWEN E 1758 MAP OF BUCKS.
<3>SBC20463 Bibliographic reference: William Page (ed). 1927. A History of Buckinghamshire (Victoria County History) Volume IV. Volume 4. p53.
<4>SBC8564 Article in serial: Unknown. 1938. 'MILLING PLANT', IN RECS OF BUCKS 13 PP356-361. Vol 13, part 5.
<5>SBC5621 Bibliographic reference: GEORGE W & FARLEY M E MAY 1973 F IELD VISIT.
<6>SBC28652 Index: Buckinghamshire County Museam. Buckinghamshire County Museum Card Index No 0424.
<7>SBC28648 Verbal communication: Christopher Paul Chaplin. 1977. Field Investigators Comments - F1 CC 03-MAR-77.
<8>SBC28653 Aerial Photograph: NMR. Oblique AP: NMR SP 6821/14 NMR 24486/41 29-Nov-2006.
<9>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).

Location

Grid reference	SP 68200 21360 (point)
Civil Parish	GRENDON UNDERWOOD, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Event - Survey: (EBC13954)
Event - Survey: EH Aerial Reconnaissance (South): 2006-7 (EBC18840)

Record last edited

Dec 15 2025 12:24PM