A brief history of Walk Mill
Walk Mill was demolished in the 1960's it had been occupied until 1959. Walk Mill is now a new building; however there has been a water mill on this site for centuries. The floor tiles in the current mill are the ones which formed the floor of the old mill. When these were lifted prior to the start of building the new mill some hand made bricks were found. These bricks can be seen surrounding the fire place.
It is possible that the River Gowy was navigable at one time. A moated area near to the Mill is listed as a scheduled monument. This was the site of a 12th century wooden fort. In the 1990's some silver Viking coins were found close the mill, this find trebled the number of similar coins found in Britain, and the majority of coins similar to these were found in Ireland. The coins found near Walk Mill are now in a Chester museum.
The Doomsday book records a mill at Stapleford with a value of 16 shillings (80 pence). The Baker Wilbraham collection has several references to Walk Mill. In 1219 a mill at Stapleford was leased to Madoc, son of Wicker seis by William, son of Henry de Stapleford with an annual rent of one pair of gloves. These would probably be leather gloves.
April 21st 1692 was the date of a pre-nuptial settlement between John Bruen of Stapleford and Honor Winnington daughter of Sir Francis Winnington which included Walk Mill in Foulk Stapleford with lands and tenements.
In 1792 land in Stapleford, including two water corn mills was sold to pay the debts of £6460 of Richard Ashton.
In 1802 Randle Wilbraham leased to John Dutton, farmer and Thomas Howell, miller the site of a water mill called The Walk Mill with ponds, races, dams etc and also one piece of land adjoining the said mill pools in the township of Foulk Stapleford. It consisted of one acre two roods eleven perches of arable land and three hundred perches of water and waste at a rent of £15.45.0d for the lives of Randle Wilbraham, John Dutton and Thomas Howell provided that John Dutton and Thomas Howell shall within three years erect a new water corn mill upon the said pools and race and to maintain it when erected.
It is possible that the River Gowy was navigable at one time. A moated area near to the Mill is listed as a scheduled monument. This was the site of a 12th century wooden fort. In the 1990's some silver Viking coins were found close the mill, this find trebled the number of similar coins found in Britain, and the majority of coins similar to these were found in Ireland. The coins found near Walk Mill are now in a Chester museum.
The Doomsday book records a mill at Stapleford with a value of 16 shillings (80 pence). The Baker Wilbraham collection has several references to Walk Mill. In 1219 a mill at Stapleford was leased to Madoc, son of Wicker seis by William, son of Henry de Stapleford with an annual rent of one pair of gloves. These would probably be leather gloves.
April 21st 1692 was the date of a pre-nuptial settlement between John Bruen of Stapleford and Honor Winnington daughter of Sir Francis Winnington which included Walk Mill in Foulk Stapleford with lands and tenements.
In 1792 land in Stapleford, including two water corn mills was sold to pay the debts of £6460 of Richard Ashton.
In 1802 Randle Wilbraham leased to John Dutton, farmer and Thomas Howell, miller the site of a water mill called The Walk Mill with ponds, races, dams etc and also one piece of land adjoining the said mill pools in the township of Foulk Stapleford. It consisted of one acre two roods eleven perches of arable land and three hundred perches of water and waste at a rent of £15.45.0d for the lives of Randle Wilbraham, John Dutton and Thomas Howell provided that John Dutton and Thomas Howell shall within three years erect a new water corn mill upon the said pools and race and to maintain it when erected.