Doesn’t Mill Meads sound like something out of a storybook? Mill Meads is an area located in the borough of Newham in east London. It sits right on the border with Tower Hamlets.
Let’s dive into the history of Mill Meads. The House Mill is a major landmark. It is a Grade I listed building. Tidal mills existed on this very site way back in 1086. That’s according to the Domesday Book. The current structure of the House Mill was erected in 1776 by Daniel Bisson. Sadly, a fire damaged it in 1802. Philip Metcalfe rebuilt it.
The area opposite Three Mills was once known as the Three Mills District. This 26-acre area buzzed with industry. There was a large cooperage making barrels. These barrels supported the mills. Many other industries thrived here too. They ranged from innovative ink manufacture to sugar refining.
Another notable structure in Mill Meads is the Abbey Mills Pumping Station. Joseph Bazalgette, Edmund Cooper, and Charles Driver designed it. It was built between 1865 and 1868. This pumping station played a crucial role. It pumped sewage.
In August 2004, the London Development Agency acquired 3 Mills Studios. The LDA supported businesses and skills. They researched industry needs. Plus, they promoted London as a film-making location.
Looking towards the future, a business district is planned for Mill Meads. It’s called Sugar House Island. Vastint is developing it. It will bring around 2,500 jobs to the area. There will also be waterside homes and amenities. The first homes were expected to go on sale in late 2019.
Getting to Mill Meads is quite easy. Abbey Road DLR station is on the Docklands Light Railway. It’s on the Stratford International extension. It opened on August 31, 2011. It was over a year late. But now, it provides excellent connections to the rest of London.
Let’s talk about the Three Mills Wall River Weir. It is on the Bow Back Rivers. It’s very close to Three Mills. The weir was built in 2009. The Bow Back Rivers were refurbished then. This made them a key feature of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The weir helps maintain water levels. It works with the Three Mills Lock and sluice on the Prescott Channel.
Tide mills have existed at Three Mills since the Domesday Book. These mills used water from the River Lea. They also used tidal water from the River Thames. This water flowed up the Bow Back Rivers. The mills were powered as the tide fell. The Three Mills Wall River supplied the mills.
The Prescott Channel was built as a flood relief channel. This channel allowed flood flows to bypass the mills when necessary. The channel included a sluice. This sluice maintained normal water levels. So the mills could still operate.
House Mill stopped operating in 1941. Clock Mill followed in 1952. The sluice on the Prescott Channel seized up in the 1960s.
Refurbishing the rivers maintained them at an intermediate level. A new lock and sluice were built on the Prescott Channel. The Three Mills Wall River Weir was built on the Three Mills Wall River.
The weir stabilizes water levels around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The structures came into operation in 2009.
The mill pound used to extend north to the Lea Bridge Sluices. House Mill was acquired in 1985. It has been refurbished and opened to the public. The mill wheels are not yet operational.
Mill Meads has transformed over the centuries. From ancient tidal mills to modern developments. Mill Meads continues to evolve. It blends its rich past with a promising future.