A Brief History of New Hall Mill
The first mill on the site of New Hall Mill was built for Thomas Gibbons. Originally it had two internal water-wheels driving four pairs of stones. The present structure dates from the 18th century, although some parts are much older. In 1709 the mill was owned by George Sacheverell of New Hall. It was operated by the Twamley family until the 1830s.
Some time before 1851, William Dutton of Longmoor Mill took on an additional Lease for New Hall Mill. He took on three millers to work at New Hall, Henry Brockas. In the 1851 census Henry Brockas, aged 30, was living at the mill with his wife Ann, aged 27, and their son William, aged 2, and two journeyman millers, Robert Rochford and Thomas Roggers. Henry was still the miller at New Hall in 1854 when his son Henry was born. William Dutton died in 1853, and Henry Brockas died in 1858 at the young age of 36.
The miller listed in the 1861 census was Joseph Brighton, aged 51. He lived with his wife Jane, aged 32, his son Joseph, aged 7, and his daughter Hannah, aged 4.
The Mill underwent various rebuilding changes throughout the years. After rebuilding in the 1870s-1880s, the power required to drive the present two pairs of millstones was derived from a single external overshot waterwheel.
During major alterations in the 1870s/1880s, the internal waterwheels were replaced by a single overshot waterwheel housed in an external wheelhouse and capable of driving the two pairs of relocated stones. This required the Stone Floor to be raised to give sufficient height to accommodate the machinery installed on the Ground / Machinery Floor.
In 1889 Edward Caldicott became the miller at New Hall Mill. He and his family are recorded at the Mill in the 1891 Census. The household's members were Edward, aged 45, his wife Agnes aged 32, six of their ten children: Ellen, Sarah, Cecil, Baron, Harold, and Birdie, and Arthur Dayman, a carter aged 20. The family remained at the mill for nine years.
In 1898 Benjamin Styles became the miller. In 1899 he supplied a loaf to Queen Victoria.
In 1923 Benjamin Styles bought the mill, but in 1928 the mill was returned to the New Hall estate.
The following year, 1929, a new miller arrived: Charles G Davis. He was later succeeded by his son Ben Davis.
The Ruston Hornby diesel engine was installed in 1949. Larger roller mills could now provide better quality flour at a lower price, so the miller abandoned flour production and concentrated on part-time production of grist or animal feed. He considered the waterwheel as an unreliable power source.
The use of water power for flour production was abandoned altogether in 1960 with the diesel engine being used intermittently to power a very noisy hammer-mill to produce the animal feed.
In 1970, electricity was connected to the mill.
In 1972 Sir Alfred Owen made plans to restore the watermill. Ben Davis continued to run the mill until his death in 1993, when commercial milling ceased.
Over the next three years, the New Hall Mill Preservation Trust prepared the mill for opening to visitors.
In 1996 the mill opened its doors to the public for the first time. It was to be maintained by the Friends of New Hall Mill.
On the August Bank Holiday 2005, New Hall Valley Country Park opened.
The Mill and its meadow field are still privately owned, and they are managed by the New Hall Water Mill Preservation Trust.
New Hall Mill is now a Grade 2 listed building, and one of only two water mills still surviving in the Birmingham area. Now restored to a working condition, New Hall Mill is a significant local example of our industrial heritage and has been described as 'Sutton's little gem'.