King's Mill, Castle Donington

King's Mill
King's Mill
	King's Mill Location within Leicestershire
Population	small
OS grid reference	SK446272
District	North West Leicestershire ;
Shire county	Leicestershire ;
Region	East Midlands ;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Derby
Postcode district	DE74
Dialling code	01332
Police	Leicestershire
Fire	Leicestershire
Ambulance	East Midlands
	List of places UK England Leicestershire 52°50′36″N1°23′02″W / 52.8434°N 1.3838°W

Last updated July 13, 2023

King's Mill is the traditional crossing point of the River Trent between Castle Donington in Leicestershire and Weston-on-Trent in Derbyshire. The Mill was the farthest point that traffic from the Humber could progress. A lock was installed here to make the river navigable but the business eventually collapsed due to competition with the Trent and Mersey Canal. The mill was used for grinding flints for the pottery industry,^[1] locally mined plaster, and dyestuffs when it was owned by Samuel Lloyd of the Birmingham banking company.^[2]

History

Activity in this area is known to date from 3,500 bce as a log boat was discovered in nearby Shardlow which contained stones quarried at King's Mill. The stone is presumed to have been destined for strengthening a causeway across the River Trent. This boat is now preserved in Derby Museum.^[3]

Control of this river crossing is first mentioned in a charter agreed by Æþelræd Unræd (King Ethelred the Unready) in 1009 which recognised the position and boundaries of Weston. The charter shows that Weston controlled the crossings of the Trent at, Weston Cliff, Kings Mill and Wilne. These crossings controlled one of the main routes for travellers moving up or down England and was a boundary within Mercia. This land was then given to Morkar, the King's chief minister, and he was unusually given rights that were normally reserved for the King alone. He was given the responsibility for justice and exemption from the trinoda, he alone could decide a fate of life or death without the need of the authority of the King or his sheriff.^[4]

In February 1309 a dispute was settled between Henry de Lacy of Castle Donington and the Abbey of Chester over the fishing rights here. Unusually the dispute was settled not with either side having rights up to the middle of the river, but with the manor of Castle Donington owning their land and the river up to the northern bank.^[5] The boundary of Derbyshire and Leicestershire still take this line.

Navigation and locks

In 1699 and 1710 Lord Paget was able to obtain an Act of Parliament to make the River Trent navigable to Burton. He set on George Hayne of Wirksworth to manage this, who in turn entered into a partnership with Leonard Fosbrooke of Shardlow Hall. Paget was given a monopoly on the river traffic although he had to construct two locks, one at Burton and the other at King's Mill to bypass the weir. The initial construction was a flash lock but this was unpopular as it required considerable energy to move boats up stream and meanwhile the mill would see a sudden flow of additional water. The locks were converted to the more conventional pound lock.^[5]

Various people tried to break the monopoly but the lock remained a weapon against delinquents. At one time a lock gate was removed and another, the lock was loaded with rocks. Each time boats were stranded and cargoes delayed.^[5] For nine years the lessees had a stone laden barge sunk in the navigation at King's Mills. The sole purpose of this device was to create the need for goods to be taken from one boat upstream to another below and vice versa. By this method they were able to ensure that the rate of three pence per ton was paid.^[1]

It was not until threatening letters were sent in 1756 by the Earl of Leicester that safe passage was assured and the lock was said to be the "best lock ever seen".^[5]

A new partnership was formed in 1763 to found the Burton Boat Company a minor shareholder was Samuel Lloyd's father who had a fifth share. One of the holdings was the mill itself which could have been a route for travellers wishing to avoid the toll.^[2]

The Trent continued to be used to transport goods including from Burton upon Trent which could be transported east and on to the Baltic states. However the river could not compete with the Trent and Mersey Canal and the business closed in 1805.^[6]

The mill and Lloyd's bankers

In 1805 the business was abandoned but the Quaker Samuel Lloyd, whose father had been one of the purchasers, was able to obtain the lease on the mill. As a banker he was able to run this business largely from his offices in Birmingham. The mill was used to grind plaster, flints, and dye stuffs.^[2] It is said that the papers of the bank make few references to Kings Mills except that in one note it is recorded that Cousin Samuel has gone to visit his Flint mills.^[2]

King's Mill Ferry

The ferry at King’s Mill was one of a number recorded along the Trent in the Domesday Book as they were a valuable source of income.^[8] In 1829, Glover included it and the nearby Weston Cliff crossing in a list for Derbyshire, the other principal ferries were Stapenhill, Walton on Trent, Willington and Twyford.^[9]

Most of these crossing points also had fords including King’s Mill, although it is noted that only the locals would use these as they were considered too dangerous for the unwary.^[9]

The chain ferry at King’s Mill was operated for many years by Polly Rowbottom, who lived on the Castle Donington side of the river. Travellers would call for the ferry by ringing a bell, but Mrs Rowbottom would only respond if she was not otherwise engaged in domestic duties, often leading to a lengthy wait.^[10]

"To get across the river one had to call her from her cottage and pay a penny before climbing into the boat. She then propelled the boat across by standing up and hauling hand over hand on a long chain which spanned the river."^[10]

During a flood in the late 1930s the ferry boat was swept away downstream to Trent Lock, it had to be transported back by a wagon and a team of horses, as Polly was unwilling to row the boat back that far, against the current. The ferry continued to operate until the second World War, the landing stage and one of the posts that supported the chain still remain on the Weston side of the river.^[10]

Related Research Articles

James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Trent</span> River in England – third-longest in the UK

The Trent is the third-longest river in the United Kingdom. Its source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midlands. The river is known for dramatic flooding after storms and spring snowmelt, which in the past often caused the river to change course.

Stone is a market town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, situated approximately 7 miles north of the county town of Stafford, 7 miles south of Stoke-on-Trent, and 15 miles north of Rugeley. As a notable canal town, Stone is recognised for its rich history, originating from the early Bronze Age and continuing through the Industrial Revolution, with the introduction of the Trent and Mersey Canal shaping the town's development and local industry.

South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. The population of the local authority at the 2011 Census was 94,611. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote. The district also forms part of the wider Burton upon Trent and Swadlincote Green Belt, which covers the towns of Burton-upon-Trent in East Staffordshire and Swadlincote in South Derbyshire. The district is also landlocked between the districts of Derby, Derbyshire Dales, East Staffordshire, Erewash District, Lichfield District, North Warwickshire, North West Leicestershire and Tamworth.

Aston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district, in the county of Derbyshire, England. The parish had a population of 1,682 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to Weston-on-Trent and near Chellaston, very close to the border with Leicestershire.

The Derby Canal ran 14 miles (23 km) from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Swarkestone to Derby and Little Eaton, and to the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre, in Derbyshire, England. The canal was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1793 and was fully completed in 1796. It featured a level crossing of the River Derwent in the centre of Derby. An early tramroad, known as the Little Eaton Gangway, linked Little Eaton to coal mines at Denby. The canal's main cargo was coal, and it was relatively successful until the arrival of the railways in 1840. It gradually declined, with the gangway closing in 1908 and the Little Eaton Branch in 1935. Early attempts at restoration were thwarted by the closure of the whole canal in 1964. Since 1994, there has been an active campaign for restoration spearheaded by the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust and Society. Loss of the Derwent crossing due to development has resulted in an innovative engineering solution called the Derby Arm being proposed, as a way of transferring boats across the river.

Castle Donington is a market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, on the edge of the National Forest and close to East Midlands Airport.

Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Derby and 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Nottingham. Part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire, it is also very close to the border with Leicestershire, defined by the route of the River Trent which passes close to the south. Just across the Trent is the Castle Donington parish of North West Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weston-on-Trent</span> Village in Derbyshire, England

Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,239. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Wilne</span>

Great Wilne is a small village in Derbyshire, England on the border with Leicestershire. It is 7 miles (11 km) south east of Derby. It is a village split from its church of St Chad's by the river. The church is at the very small hamlet of Church Wilne which can only be approached by a short walk via the bridge over the River Derwent, or by a fair car journey which necessitates travelling out of the county. The population at the 2011 Census is included in the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne.

Swarkestone is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 187.

Twyford and Stenson is a civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. Located south of Derby on the Trent and Mersey Canal, it consists of two villages, Stenson and its smaller neighbour Twyford.

Sawley is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Erewash, in southeast Derbyshire, England. With a slightly higher than average number of people over 65, the population of just the civil parish was measured at 6,629 as at the 2011 Census.

George Hayne was a merchant and entrepreneur who was responsible for the creation of the Trent Navigation in England and hence the development of Burton upon Trent as the pre-eminent beer brewing and exporting town.

Derwent Mouth is a location on the River Trent, which at that point forms the border between the English counties of Derbyshire and Leicestershire. It is both the confluence of the River Derwent with the River Trent, and the point at which the Trent and Mersey Canal joins the natural River Trent.

Cavendish Bridge is a bridge over the River Trent, connecting the counties of Leicestershire and Derbyshire; it is also the name of a hamlet on the Leicestershire side of the river within the Castle Donington parish. This bridge once carried the main London-Manchester turnpike, though the modern A6/A50 dual carriageway has now been built to the south bypassing the crossing.

The Castle Donington line also known as Weston On Trent Branch Railway is a railway line in Derbyshire, England, that runs between Stenson Junction in the west and Sheet Stores Junction in the east. There are no passenger services that serve this line regularly but passenger services are occasionally routed across it. Regular passenger services are routed via Derby. The line is regularly used by freight trains and serves the East Midlands Gateway freight interchange. There are no current passenger stations on the line which previously served stations at Castle Donington and Weston-on-Trent and also linked to the Melbourne Line.

Morcar was a thane (minister) of King Æthelred the Unready. He was given lands in Derbyshire in 1009, including Weston-on-Trent, Crich, and Smalley by King Æthelred in 1011 and 1012. He was also given the freedom from the three common burdens. He and his brother were executed in 1015. Morcar's brother's wife was later married to King Edmund Ironside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Sutton (Shardlow)</span> English boatbuilder

James Sutton was an English boatbuilder, canal boat carrier and owner of salt works. He became High Sheriff of Derbyshire.

The Hanson Log Boat was a Bronze Age boat found in a gravel pit in Shardlow in Derbyshire. The log boat is now in Derby Museum and Art Gallery.

References

1 2 General View of the Agriculture and Minerals of Derbyshire, Great Britain Board of Agriculture, 1817, accessed 7 October 2008
1 2 3 4 The Quaker Lloyds in the Industrial Revolution, Humphrey Lloyd, p252, 2005, ISBN 0-415-38161-4
↑ Hanson Log Boat Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine , Derby.gov.uk, accessed May 2011
↑ Weston - Charter of Æthelred, The Great Council, 1009, accessible at Derby records
1 2 3 4 A History of Transport in Weston on Trent, David Birt et al., ISBN 0-9521307-0-X
↑ C. C. Owen, Burton-on-Trent: the development of industry (Phillimore, Chichester 1978), pp13-20.
↑ Stone, Richard (2005). River Trent. Phillimore. pp. 71–72. ISBN 1860773567.
↑ Campbell, Bruce (2006). England on the Eve of the Black Death. Manchester University Press. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7190-3768-9.
1 2 Glover, Stephen (1829). Noble, Thomas (ed.). The History of the County of Derby. Mozley.
1 2 3 Change in a Derbyshire Village: Weston-on-Trent 1900–1950 Yvonne Smalley and Margery Trantor Weston LHS ISBN 978-0-9521307-2-7

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[gen-1] 1 2 General View of the Agriculture and Minerals of Derbyshire, Great Britain Board of Agriculture, 1817, accessed 7 October 2008

[lloyd-2] 1 2 3 4 The Quaker Lloyds in the Industrial Revolution, Humphrey Lloyd, p252, 2005, ISBN 0-415-38161-4

[derbylog-3] Hanson Log Boat Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine , Derby.gov.uk, accessed May 2011

[4] Weston - Charter of Æthelred, The Great Council, 1009, accessible at Derby records

[hist-5] 1 2 3 4 A History of Transport in Weston on Trent, David Birt et al., ISBN 0-9521307-0-X

[6] C. C. Owen, Burton-on-Trent: the development of industry (Phillimore, Chichester 1978), pp13-20.

[stone-7] Stone, Richard (2005). River Trent. Phillimore. pp. 71–72. ISBN 1860773567.

[ferrymap-8] Campbell, Bruce (2006). England on the Eve of the Black Death. Manchester University Press. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7190-3768-9.

[Glover-9] 1 2 Glover, Stephen (1829). Noble, Thomas (ed.). The History of the County of Derby. Mozley.

[change-10] 1 2 3 Change in a Derbyshire Village: Weston-on-Trent 1900–1950 Yvonne Smalley and Margery Trantor Weston LHS ISBN 978-0-9521307-2-7

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[8]

[9]

[10]