Kilham : Mills

A watermill is shown to the north of the village, located beside the Bowmont Water and fed by a parallel leet. This is certainly the mill documented in the hands of Lord Grey in mid-late 17th century documentary sources (cf. Hodgson 1820, 278; NCH XI (1922), 163).

It had apparently originally belonged to Kirkham Priory and after the dissolution was eventually sold by the crown, along with all the priory's holdings in Kilham, to William Strother of Kirknewton in 1553. It was subsequently purchased, with the rest of these lands, by Sir Ralph Grey in the early 17th century (NCH XI (1922), 166).

At least two mills are mentioned in the medieval sources. One was alienated to Nicholas of Kilham by his father Michael lord of the manor in the mid-late 13th century, along with the lands called Newhalow, Elfordhalow, the Floros etc. in Kilham. The Northumberland County History suggests this was the same mill as the one later held by Kirkham Priory (NCH XI (1922), 160, 166 n.7).

However another possible mill site can be identified on the 1712 map, providing an alternative candidate for location of Nicholas' mill. The map shows a small field or paddock labelled 'Mill Close' at the south end of the village on the opposite side of the burn.

No buildings are depicted within the close, but the name could preserve the location of a long abandoned medieval mill. The position is certainly appropriate for a watermill, right beside the burn, which was later used to power the farm mill a little to the north.  

In addition 'a mill in Kilham and Paston' is recorded in the 14th century (NCH XI (1922), 161, 168). Possession of the mill was shared, and various transactions relating to the buying, selling or lease for a specific term of years of quarter shares in the mill are documented. The tenant at this time was William Heron (NCH XI (1922), 168).

This mill presumably served both townships and may have lain on or near the boundary between the two, at Langhamhaugh or thereabouts.

A mill 'in Kilham and Shotton', of which Robert de Roos of Wark held a third in 1290 is also documented (NCH XI (1922), 160), although it is more difficult to determine where this might have been located since these two townships were not contiguous along the Bowmont, as Paston and Kilham were, and only bounded one another at all on their upland margins and there only to a limited extent.