T H A M E S V A L L E Y ARCHAEOLOGICAL S E R V I C E S

Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire

Building Recording

by Genni Elliott and Danielle Milbank

Site Code: WSR18/208

(SU 6926 7122) Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire

Building Recording

For Mr and Mrs Puddephatt

by Genni Elliott and Danielle Milbank

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd

Site Code WSR 18/208

March 2019 Summary

Site name: Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire

Grid reference: SU 6926 7122

Site activity: Building Recording

Date and duration of project: 20th December 2018

Project coordinator: Steve Ford

Site code: WSR 18/208

Summary of results: The building consists of two distinctive parts; the original west end characterised by its stone block construction and the extended east end characterised by its brick construction. A number of cast iron fittings were present within the building consisting of pipe work and sluice gates. These date from the period of the Reading Water Corporation rather than the original use as a Wire Mill. The iron settling tanks to the rear of the building also date to the period of the water corporation.

Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course.

This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. All TVAS unpublished fieldwork reports are available on our website: www.tvas.co.uk/reports/reports.asp.

Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford 27.03.19 Steve Preston 27.03.19

i Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR Tel. (0118) 926 0552; email [email protected]; website : www.tvas.co.uk Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire Building Recording

by Genni Elliott and Danielle Milbank

Report 18/208

Introduction

This report documents the results of building recording at Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire

(SU 6926 7122) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr and Mrs Puddephatt of Wire Mill Southcote Farm

Lane Reading RG30 3DZ.

Planning consent (application no. 171588) has been granted by Reading Borough Council for the conversion of the Wire Mill building and construction of a new café, holiday let apartment and manager’s accommodation on the existing footprint on the derelict Wire Mill. The consent is subject to a condition (10) which requires a programme of archaeological work consisting of a building recording prior to renovation and development, and a watching brief on below ground works. This report documents the results of the building survey.

This is in accordance with the Department for Communities and Local Government’s National Planning

Policy Framework (NPPF 2012), and the Borough’s policies on the historic environment. The fieldwork was undertaken by Danielle Milbank and Cat Gregori on 20th December 2018 and the site code is WSR 18/208.

The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at

Reading Museum and a copy sent to the National Monuments Record in due course.

Location, topography and geology

Wire Mill is located on a small parcel of land which is essentially an island between the Kennet and Avon canal to the north and the River Kennet to the south. It is located immediately to the south of Southcote Lock, to the southeast of the village of Southcote. The island is accessed via Milkmaid Bridge, to the east of the building

(Fig. 1). The site lies at approximately 40m above Ordnance Datum and the underlying geology is recorded as alluvium above upper chalk (BGS 2000).

1 Historical Background

The Wire Mill has a well documented history as part of the Kennet and Avon Canal. A detailed history of the site has been put together as part of the Southcote Scrapbook by Matthew Girling (2013) which pulls together a number of sources that mention the mill. In summary the construction of the Kennet and Avon canal between

Reading and Newbury was approved in 1715 with work commencing in 1718 and completed by 1723. A map dated 1792 (Fig. 2) shows the location of the lock, meaning the site can be located with a reasonable degree of accuracy on the small island immediately to the south. No buildings are present on the site and the land labelled as Proprietors of the Kennet. None of the other buildings relating to Southcote Mill are present either. John

Rennie (lead surveyor and engineer for the canal construction) kept a notebook that records the presence of a wire mill with waterwheel(s) and a new mill building in 1800. The next available map of 1811-1817 is the

Tilehurst enclosure map (Fig. 3) which shows the Wire Mill on the map consisting of a rectangular building. To the west are a further three buildings. The surrounding land is labelled with the initials J.E.L. and is likely to belong to John Engleberts Liebewood Esq. The next available map is the Ordnance Survey map of 1830 (not illustrated) which shows the wire mill to the south of the lock and labelled mill. The map shows little in the way of detail due to its small scale. The 1839 Reading St Mary’s Tithe map (Fig. 4) is the first map to show the building in detail. On this map two distinct buildings are shown; one in grey to the southwest and one in pink immediately to the northeast, the colour denotes pink for an inhabited building (the appointment labelling the building as the lock-keepers house and garden) and grey for an outbuilding (labelled as wire mills and garden, occupied by Thomas Champion in the appointment). Both are owned by the Kennett Navigation Company). It is possible that there are a number of small extensions to the southeast, though the similarity of colour between the grey building and the water makes this hard to differentiate. The western end of the building appears to be a more complex shape in plan form than the simple rectangle present today. The first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1882 shows further detail (Fig. 5). Three distinctive buildings are shown with extensions to the southeast.

This set of buildings is more extensive than that currently present, which matches in width and shape to the building at the southwest. A millrace is shown entering the building at the southwest corner and this would accord with the earlier Tithe map. A sluice is labelled as present to the west of the building. The wire mill itself is recorded as being disused by this date. Only a couple of small changes are apparent on the next map of 1899

(Fig. 6); the removal of a small building to the east of the sluice and to the Lock-keepers cottage at the southeast corner, where part of the extension appears to have been infilled, though both of these could just be a reflection of less detailed mapping. Significant change occurs by 1912 (Fig. 7). The Lock-keepers cottage has been largely

2 demolished with a small part of an extension remaining as a separate building and at a minimum the old wire mill building has been extended to the east, or replaced by one of the same width, in the same location. The sluice to the west of the building is still present and labelled. Further change has occurred by 1932 (Fig. 8), the building to the southeast of the main building is shown as a simple square and tanks are now present to the south of the wire mill building. No further change is recorded up to the 1968 Ordnance Survey map (Fig. 9). Between

1968 and 1989 (Fig. 10) the small building to the southeast of the main wire mill building has been demolished.

A photograph from 1948 shows the Wire mill and building to the south. The Wire mill building has a wagon roof, possibly of corrugated steel construction. According to a later photograph, this is absent by 1982

(Girling 2013).

Methodology

The building survey was carried out in accordance with guidelines set out by the Royal Commission on Historic

Monuments for a Level 2 record (RCHME 1996; HE2016). The survey comprised a photographic survey, paying attention to the methods of construction, chronological development and alterations, and features of special interest. The building has been recorded photographically using digital media which is catalogued (Appendix 1).

Description (Figs. 11 and 12)

Exterior

The Wire mill building is rectangular in plan form with a set of tanks present to the south of the building. In its current form it is in a dilapidated state with no roof and partially obscured by undergrowth. The walls are constructed of a combination of stone and brick. The north elevation of the building fronts the canal and lock, and the wall is intact throughout and in moderately good condition (Plate 1). There are four blocked windows and one doorway on this elevation. The stone is of rectangular blocks of varying lengths, laid in regular courses

(Pl. 3). The bricks are laid in English bond and comprise two distinctive sections; the below ground tanks within the building and the upper building walls proper. The tanks are lined with a waterproof cement whilst the upper walls internally have at one point been white-washed.

The main entrance to the building (Fig. 11) is on the north side through a double door, located centrally, fronting onto the canal towpath (Pl. 4). The doors have been replaced with modern plywood. The entire wall is faced in stone, within which are a further four window openings (now blocked), located two either side of the doorway.

3 Both the doorway and windows are set beneath a segmental arch formed of two courses of dressed stone. The window sills are formed from a pair of dressed stone slabs. At the west end of the elevation, at ground level is the top of a stone arch, formed of a single course of dressed stone (Pl. 5).

The east elevation is entirely obscured by trees and undergrowth externally (Pl. 6). A small lean to with a corrugated steel roof can be seen against the building though no further detail can be discerned. Internally it is possible to see a centrally located window, now blocked, with the wall.

The south elevation incorporates a set of tanks at ground level butting the south of the building. The façade of the building is of mixed construction with both brick and stone utilised. The west end of the building has a brick base, laid in stretcher bond surmounted by stone blockwork (Pl. 7). Centrally within the façade is a doorway, with a stone jamb on the west side and brick jamb on the east (Pl 8). The segmental arch above is of brick construction. The east end of the building is of brick construction, laid in English bond and partially obscured by undergrowth. Internally, a blocked window is visible beneath a segmental arch.

The west elevation is entirely obscured by ivy and no detail can be seen externally or internally (Pl. 9). The symmetry of the building would suggest that like the east elevation a window may be present centrally. The external wall of the tanks can be seen to be of brick construction though the bonding type can not be discerned due to the undergrowth (P. 10). The tanks comprise iron panels fixed with rivets and each have a deeper channel along one side wall, and abut the brick wall of the building (Pl. 11).

Interior

Internally (Fig. 12) there is no solid floor, but a series of dividing brick walls forming a series of tanks, consisting of a central spine running east-west and north-south between the doorways (Pls. 12 and 13). The east and west sections are then further divided via smaller walls into 12 sections; six either side of the east-west spine wall, each of differing sizes. These extend up to the south external wall, but not as far as the north wall, where a narrow channel has been created. Where visible, the walls appear to be of stretcher bond construction. The base of the tanks could not be seen due to the amount of undergrowth present (Pl. 14). The upper interior walls were of a mixture of stone and brick construction; brick on the east, west and south walls and a combination of brick

4 and stone on the north wall; brick at the east end, stone at the west end. The walls have been stabilised in recent years using a horizontal metal plate and braces bolted to the top of the internal tank walls (Pl. 15).

A number of fittings related to the former use of the building as part of the Reading Water Corporation were still present. These consisted of a cast iron inlet pipe in the northeast corner of the building. A series of five sluice gates (Pl. 16) then controlled the location of the water; one located within the central spine wall and four located within wall 1 (Pl. 17). Running along the central east-west spine wall and adjacent to walls 1-5 was a series of vertical cast iron stakes connected to the central spine wall via a bracket. These were arranged in pairs. Their function is not known.

A further set of sluice gates were present within wall 6, immediately to the west of the central north-south spine wall (Pl. 18). As with the layout of the sluice gates at the east end of the building there is an additional sluice gate within the central, east-west spine wall. Immediately to the west of the main door, to the east of wall 6 is a valve; given the location it seems likely that this may be another water inlet pipe (Pl. 19). Immediately to the south of this is an additional sluice gate. A pair of cast iron pipes are present between the spine wall and wall 6; their function and where they go is unknown.

Running along the west wall and south wall, at the west end is a cast iron pipe, presumably originating from the external arch seen on the north wall and consisting of another water inlet (Pl 20). A plastic pipe is also present within the northwest corner of the building and can be seen to enter the square brick structure to the east before exiting to the east of wall 10 where it is no longer visible due to undergrowth.

External tanks

The external tank structure consist of nine separate tanks, located on the south side of the building, presumably butting up against it, though this was not seen due to the undergrowth. Each tank is rectangular in plan form and generally of similar sizes (Pl. 21). The tanks are constructed of cast iron panels, riveted together, each with two gently curved shallow ledges (Pl. 22). Within tanks 5 and 6 (those either side of the doorway) is a brick wall (Pl.

23). Within tank 5 this forms a separate channel for the sluice gate between the main building and the tank (Pl.

24). A second sluice gate is located in the eastern wall of tank 9; it is not known where this leads. Within the southeast corner of tank 1 is a valve; the function of which is not known but maybe related to the mill race that formerly entered the southwest corner of the building in the historic maps.

5 Interpretation

The building has evolved over time from its original form. It appears to have doubled in size between 1899 and

1912 with the demolition of the adjacent lock keepers cottage, followed by the addition of a set of tanks on the south side of the building between 1912 and 1932.

The original building, now the west end of the existing building, was constructed of stone blocks on the north and south walls with a stone block interior. The west wall could not be observed externally but appeared to have a brick interior construction. Externally part of the south wall appears to have been rebuilt at the base with the bricks laid in stretcher bond, above which is stone blockwork.

The east end of the building has a stone exterior on the north side but a brick exterior on the south side and on the interior. In plan form the layout appears to be a copy of the west end of the building.

Conclusion

The building has undergone significant change over its lifetime, with one major phase of remodelling.

The west end of the building forms the earliest part and is of stone block construction. This was extended between 1899 and 1912 according to the cartographic evidence, almost doubling the building’s length. It is primarily of brick construction with stone facing, partially dating to the remodelling, on the north elevation fronting the canal. A set of tanks were added to the rear of the building between 1912 and 1932 presumably related to Reading Water Works. No evidence was found specifically relating to the buildings’ original use as a wire mill. All of the fittings are likely to relate to the period of the Water Works.

References BGS, 2000, British Geological Survey, 1:50,000, Sheet 268, Solid and Drift Edition, Keyworth Girling, M, 2013, Southcote Scrapbook, Reading HE, 2016, Understanding Historic Buildings, Historic England, London NPPF 2012, National Planning Policy Framework, Dept Communities and Local Govt, London RCHME, 1996, Recording Historic Buildings: a descriptive specification, 3rd edn, Roy Comm Hist Monuments (England), London

6 APPENDIX 1: Photographic Catalogue

TVAS Photographic Catalogue

Digital Other format Site Code WSR 18/208 x Accession No.

Cat. No. Comments (Ext/Int, floor, room, detail, description) Scales Location Direction Description

1x1m Exterior NE General view of wire mill wall from across the canal 1 [Plate 1] 2 1x1m Exterior N General view of wire mill wall from across the canal 1x1m Exterior NNE General view of wire mill wall from across the canal [Pl. 3 2] 4 1x1m Exterior NW Close view of wire mill wall from the canal 5 1x1m Exterior NNE Close view of wire mill wall from the canal [Pl. 3] 6 1x1m Exterior NNE Close view of wire mill wall from the canal 7 1x1m Exterior NNE Close view of wire mill wall from the canal [Pl. 4] 8 1x1m Exterior NNE Close view of wire mill wall from the canal 9 1x1m Exterior NE Close view of wire mill wall from the canal [Pl. 5] 10 1x1m Exterior NW View of ESE wall [Pl. 6] 11 1x1m Exterior NW View of ESE wall 12 1x1m Exterior NW View of ESE wall 13 1x1m Exterior W View of ESE wall 14 1x1m Exterior WSW View of ESE wall 15 1x1m Exterior SSW View of NNE wall 16 1x1m Exterior SSW View of NNE wall [Pl. 7] 17 1x1m Exterior SSW View of NNE wall [Pl. 8] 18 1x1m Exterior SSW View of NNE wall 19 1x1m Exterior S View of NNE wall 20 1x1m Exterior SE View of NNE wall 21 1x1m Exterior ESE View of WNW wall [Pl. 9] 22 1x1m Exterior ESE View of WNW wall 23 1x1m Exterior S View of WNW wall 24 1x1m Exterior E View of the Northern most part of structure [Pl. 10] 25 1x1m Exterior W View of the footing of structure [Pl. 22] 26 1x1m Exterior E View of Concrete Footing of Structure 27 1x1m Exterior N View of S wall 28 1x1m Exterior S View of Tank 29 1x1m Exterior NW View of S wall From tank, oblique [Pl. 11] 30 1x1m Exterior E View of Tanks (Long Shot) 31 1x1m Exterior N View of S Wall from Tanks [Pl. 23] 32 1x1m Exterior NE View of S wall and window from tanks [Pl. 24] 33 1x1m Exterior SSE View of Base of Tank Structure 34 1x1m Exterior E View of base of Tank Structure [Pl. 21] 35 1x1m Interior SSW View of Southern Entrance [Pl. 14] 36 Interior E Oblique View of NE and SE Walls bracing [Pl. 15] 37 Interior W Oblique View of NE wall bracing 38 1x1m Interior NNE View of NE wall and entrance 39 1x1m Interior E View of SE wall and entrance [Pl. 12] 40 1x1m Interior W View of NW wall [Pl. 13] 41 1x1m Interior N View of NW wall and entrance 42 1x1m Interior SSW View of SW wall 43 1x1m Interior SE View of hydro-mechanical structure

7 TVAS Photographic Catalogue

Digital Other format Site Code WSR 18/208 x Accession No.

Cat. No. Comments (Ext/Int, floor, room, detail, description) 44 1x1m Interior NE View of hydro-mechanical structure and piping 1x1m Interior NNE Oblique, View of hydro-mechanical structure and piping 45 [Pl. 16] 46 1x1m Interior ESE View of hydro-mechanical structure 47 1x1m Interior NNE View of NW wall and tanks 48 1x1m Interior NNE View of NW wall and tanks, entrance 1x1m Interior NE Close, View of hydro-mechanical structure and piping 49 [Pl. 17] 50 1x1m Interior SE Close, View of hydro-mechanical structure and piping 51 1x1m Interior NNE View of NW wall and tanks and bracings 52 1x1m Interior NNE View of NW wall and tanks 53 1x1m Interior SSW View of SE wall and tanks [Pl. 20] 54 1x1m Interior SSW View of SE wall and tanks 55 1x1m Interior W Close up, View of Tank structures and Bracing? 1x1m Interior NW Close up, View of hydro-mechanical structure and 56 piping [Pl. 19]

8 Slough

READING Maidenhead

Windsor

Hungerford Thatcham Bracknell Newbury Wokingham SITE

72000

SITE

71000

SU 69000 70000 WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 1. Location of site within Reading and Berkshire.

Reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey Explorer Digital mapping at 1:12500 Crown Copyright reserved SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 2. Map of 1792. SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 3. Tilehurst Enclosure Map, 1811-1817. SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 4. Reading St Mary's Tithe Map, 1839. SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 5. First Edition Ordnance Survey, 1882 SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 6. Second Edition Ordnance Survey, 1899 SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 7. Third Edition Ordnance Survey, 1912 SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 9. Ordnance Survey, 1966 SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 9. Ordnance Survey, 1966 SITE

WSR 18/208 N Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Figure 10. Ordnance Survey, 1989 '' (

" # $ % & ( ' "$ "& $% ( ' & % $ # " #% $ #& #$ $ #' $$ ## ( #( # # # "( $ #" # $# $" "' % ' $ " " "# U% U& U' U( U U U" U# U$ ( " ( " "" " & " # $ '' ' % & ( Plate 1. General view of Wire Mill, looking NE, Scales: Plate 2. General view of Wire Mill, looking NNE, Scales: 1m and 1m. 1m and 1m.

Plate 3. Close view of Wire Mill, west end, looking Plate 4. Close view of Wire Mill wall and entrance from NNE, Scales: 1m and 1m. the towpath, looking NNE, Scales: 1m and 1m.

WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 1 to 4. Plate 5. Close view of Wire Mill wall, east end, looking NE, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 6. View of ESE elevation, looking NW, Scales: 1m and 1m.

WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 5 and 6. Plate 7. View of NNE elevation, looking SSW, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 8. View of north (rear) elevation, looking SSW, Scales: 1m and 1m. WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 7 and 8. Plate 9. View of WNW elevation, looking ESE, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 10. Tank structures, looking east, Scales: 1m and 1m. WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 9 and 10. Plate 11. Oblique view of south elevation and tanks, looking NW, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 12. Interior, central spine wall, looking E, Scales: 1m and 1m.

WRS 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 11 and 12. Plate 13. Interior, central spine wall, looking W, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 14. Interior, looking SSW, Scales: 1m and 1m.

WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 13 and 14. Plate 17. Close-up view of sluice structures and piping, Plate 18. Close-up view of sluice structures and piping, looking NE, Scales: 1m and 1m. looking SW, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 19. Close-up view of sluice structures and piping, Plate 20. View of SE wall and tanks, looking SSW, looking NW, Scales: 1m and 1m. Scales: 1m and 1m.

WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 17 to 20. Plate 15. Oblique view of NE and SE Walls, looking E.

Plate 16. Oblique view of sluice structures and piping, looking NNE, Scales: 1m and 1m. WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 15 and 16. Plate 21. View of tank structures, looking W, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 22. View of the footing of tank structure, looking W, Scales: 1m and 1m.

WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 21 and 22. Plate 23. View of S wall and entrance from tanks, looking N, Scales: 1m and 1m.

Plate 24. View of S wall and tank structures, looking NE, Scales: 1m and 1m. WSR 18/208 Wire Mill, Southcote Farm Lane, Reading, Berkshire, 2019 Building Recording Plates 23 and 24. TIME CHART

Calendar Years

Modern AD 1901

Victorian AD 1837

Post Medieval AD 1500

Medieval AD 1066

Saxon AD 410

Roman AD 43 AD 0 BC Iron Age 750 BC

Bronze Age: Late 1300 BC

Bronze Age: Middle 1700 BC

Bronze Age: Early 2100 BC

Neolithic: Late 3300 BC

Neolithic: Early 4300 BC

Mesolithic: Late 6000 BC

Mesolithic: Early 10000 BC

Palaeolithic: Upper 30000 BC

Palaeolithic: Middle 70000 BC

Palaeolithic: Lower 2,000,000 BC Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47-49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR

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