Kent’s Mill - Exmoor Waters and Rivers

Location :51.06915,-3.53733

A post-medieval mill complex, thought to be of 19th Century date. A leat survives, with sluices and traces of a wheel pit and fed by Kent’s Weir to the east. The mill building has been converted to a dwelling. There may be an associated field gutter system.

References: Exmoor HER – MMO594 – Kents Mill and Kent’s Weir, Brompton Regis (Building)

Full Description

A post-medieval mill complex at Kents Mill thought to be 19th Century. The surviving features are a leat with sluices.
Mill now gutted and a dwelling. Trace of wheel pit. Site suggests a low breast wheel.
A rectangular building is shown on the Tithe Map for Brompton Regis at c. SS 9237 3110, orientated north to south. There is a further building slightly to the southeast orientated east to west, at c. SS 9238 3110, and another outbuilding to the west at c. SS 9235 3112. A leat runs east to west, fed from the River Exe at SS 9259 3111 and running back into the River Exe further downstream at SS 9230 3113. The leat runs to the north of the buildings, with the main rectangular building built with its northern elevation adjacent to the leat.
The group of buildings is within a group of enclosures labelled 1197 on the Tithe Map, which the Apportionment describes as “Millhouse Gardens Orchards etc”.

The main rectangular building and the western outbuilding are shown on the 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. The southeastern building appears to have been demolished. The main building is labelled “Kentsmill Cottage”. A secondary leat, with an aqueduct to carry it over the original structure at SS 9232 3112, is diverted from the main leat at SS 9242 3111 (see MEM25338). A large weir is shown where the water is taken from the River Exe to the east; this is labelled “Kent’s Weir”.
The site is similarly depicted on the 25 inch 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map. The main millhouse has been extended in two subdivided parts on the western elevation. A footbridge is labelled over the leat directly to the northeast of the house.

The 2022 MasterMap data shows the main leat is still extant. The secondary leat, including the aqueduct (MEM25338), appears to have been removed. The site is labelled “Kents Mill”; “Kent’s Weir” is also depicted and labelled.