High Mill/Wintrip's Mill

This can probably be equated with the premises advertised to let in 1813 in the Newcastle Courant: ‘a mill situated at Blaydon Burn, the property of the late Robert Paddison, lately deceased, has been employed in the manufacture of flint for different potteries, in an extensive line, together with flint kiln, a good dwelling house and all other suitable conveniences for carrying on the same’.

In 1834 the mill was worked by J Cowen & Co. [Davidson 145]. On the 1838 Tithe map and accompanying award it is described as ‘Dunns Flint Mill & grounds’, occupied by Matthew William Dunn and part of the Towneley estate [ASC Tithe Winlaton] (Figure 16).

In 1841 the mill was run by Walter Wintrip aged 45 ‘Flint miller’, who had been born in Scotland [Census]. Although Wintrip is described as married and had a son, William, aged 10, his wife is not listed suggesting he was a widower. The miller’s household also included a 13-year old girl, Jane Athey.

In 1851 the Flint Mill is not specifically named, but Walter Wintrip ‘Flint manufacturer’ is listed as resident in Blaydon Burn. The mill is marked as being for ‘Flint’ on the 1st edition OS of 1858, with ancilliary buildings including a kiln (21). By 1871 [Census] another Robert Wintrip, aged 37 and presumably related to the Robert Wintrip listed in 1841, had moved from Haggerstone’s Mill and was a ‘Flint grinder’ at the ‘Flint Mill’.

Wintrip and his family were still there in 1881, but by 1896 [OS 2] the mill was disused and uninhabited, some of the associated buildings had been demolished and the mill race was filled in. However the water wheel appears to have still been in position, and the miller’s house was still standing [Bourn].

A photograph of c.1890 [Blaydon in Old Picture Postcards, 73] shows a range of two buildings apparently of sandstone rubble with pantiled roofs, a large out-building, possibly a cart shed, with a cat-slide roof, two brick chimneys and an overgrown dam in the background, in the face of which a square power take-off is visible (Figure 17).

The mill is marked as ‘disused’ on the 2nd edition OS of 1896 and by 1914 had disappeared under the Coke Ovens (37).

There are no visable remains. Associated with the High Mill (35) and shown on the 1st edition OS (1858). The mill pond appears to have been considerably reduced in size; an earlier, larger pond is indicated by the width of the dam. The start of a headrace is indicated in silting within the pond, but is not clearly visible on the mill side, and the tailrace appears some 43m north of the mill. This may suggest that by 1858 water was no longer providing the motive power for the mill, which is marked as ‘disused’ on the 2nd edition OS of 1896 and by 1914 [3rd edition OS] had disappeared under the Coke Ovens (37). No visible remains.