Stebbing Mill, Mill Lane

[Bensop]

With regards Forge Cottage (or any current property in Stebbing (or Uttlesford district come to that)) the best thing to do is to search for Uttlesford Interactive Map on Google which will take you to the Uttlesford planning page. From there click on the link to the interactive map. Its not the easiest to use but select a map first from the left-hand side. Then do a search on the right by putting in Forge Cottage - select the one you want (i.e. the Duck End, Stebbing one) and you will get a very detailed map of the area including identifying Forge Cottage.

Sandra - just to reiterate that the Playles were at Bran End - both the water mill there and the windmill. The water mill referred to by the others is in the centre of the main village, down the end of Mill Lane. They may of course of had some involvement with that mill but I am not aware of it. The pub at Bran End was called the Green Man (it closed in 1968), however, the Whitehead family did own and run another pub, the White Hart, from before 1756 until 1822. The White Hart is the only pub still open in the parish and is in the centre of the main village (on the corner with Mill Lane in fact).

With regards the Stebbing Local History Society I'm sorry to hear of your experience. I do in fact remember you. I doubt whether we would have had much (if any) information on the Playles at the time. Time constraints doesnt generally allow us to undertake private research for others but I am always willing to share information that I have available (in fact as I am trying to do on this thread). All members should have had the journal though which is puzzling. We publish a newsletter (now a journal) twice a year and occasional individual papers which go to all members. If you (or the others on this thread) send me a message away from this thread with your e-mail address then I can send you a few by e-mail.

[Glenpenny]

Thank you so much Bensop.  It took a bit of finagling but I now have a saved photo of my 5 x g.grandfather's home.

[fedelmar]

Yes ... that is correct ... the White Hart as well.

It wasn't a 'bad experience' as such

My email address is *

Thank you for your kindness

Bright Blessings
Sandra

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[nicknmair]

I have only just come across this and don't know if anyone is still interested but I grew up in Stebbing and knew both water mills well. Bran End Mill belonged to C G Pulford & Son and at the time I was a kid, 1950s/60s it was managed by Harold Hynds. The Stebbing Mill, the one in Mill Lane belonged to another branch of the Hynds Family, most recently Len who was the last miller. Forge Cottage in Duck End had an adjoining blacksmiths shop which belonged to a relation of mine, who I believe was called Ted Barritt (Barrett?) after he retired it was for a while used as a wrought iron workshop making gates, standard lamps, etc. It is still there but disused.  I believe one of the windmills was at Hornsea farm a few hundred yards along the road from Bran End towards Duck End, now used by an animal food dealer. I am pretty sure I can remember my mother saying this mill burned down one night in a gale. The Green Man in Bran End was most recently kept as a pub by Doll Hayden and her husband Fred, both now dead. It closed in 1968 and was converted into a house. If anybody wants any more information about this period I would be pleased to try to help.

[oldjakey]

Now you have mentioned it, I seem to remember my father (Len Hynds) telling me about the windmill at bran End being burnt down in a gale. I may have this wrong but i think windmills have a brake to prevent the sails turning when they are at rest, and i seem to remember the story being that someone forgot to apply this brake and as the sails turned the mill gears the bearings become hot enough to start the fire.
You may also be interested to know that Ted Barrett was my great uncle, (Lens mother was Alice Maud Barrett).

[nicknmair]

Hi  I think we are (very )distantly related. I believe that Len was a distant cousin and Ted Barrett was also my great uncle. I know we are not supposed to use full names on this but I am Neil and lived at Bran End, mt great aunt Ett lived in the tiny bungalow just along the lane from the mill.  I well remember visiting the mill when it was working and loved the wonderful dusty atmosphere. I also remember fishing for trout in the pond at the back  of te mill when your grandfather was still around.

[Arty Crafty]

Hi. My grandfather was Percy Hynds and many decades ago I used to spend Summer Holidays in Mill Lane. I often went out on Len Hynds' lorry deliveries. I also used to swim in the mill pool and once recovered the iron bar used to operate the flood gates.

[oldjakey]

Hello Neil,
I think your right we are very distantly related! I believe I can just about remember your great Aunt Ett living at the bungalow on the corner and seem to think that she suffered from poor eyesight in her later years. Would she have been living there up until about the very early 1960`s ?
I guess that your memories of town mill would have been in the days when it still operated by water power alone. there was no mains electric in the mill (or the mill house) until about 1960.
Like you I have happy memories of fishing for trout in the mill pool. We always knew it as "the horse pond" and guess that was probably the case in your time there too.

Hello Arty,
Yet another distant relation! As you will probably have worked out Percy was my great uncle and I can just about remember him too. I am pretty sure he lived about halfway down mill lane on the left and one of my earliest memories is of him giving me a threepenny piece.
I think Len always had happy memories of his younger days out on the lorry and remember him saying he would often take someone with him for company on his delivery's.
I know the iron bar you rescued from the the mill pool and if its as heavy as i remember you did very well to recover it!

[nicknmair]

Hello again

Yes, Auntie Ett did go more or less blind and lived in the bungalow until around 1960 by which time electricity had arrived!  She moved to one of the little bungalows the counsil built in Bran End.  I think you are a few years younger than me but I remember that you had a sister called (?) Susan. I can't remember your name but I do vaguely remember Percy who loved part way up the lane.  Do you still live locally?  I have been away from the area for forty years or so but now live in Wethersfield.   Stebbing has changed almost beyond recognition over the years with not even a shop now - strange to think that then there was even a sweet shop!