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Many mills have been recorded as existing in the Sutton
Coldfield area, the earliest being a corn (wheat) mill belonging
to the lord of the manor in 1126. Most of these early mills were
water powered, Maney and Langley being the only two windmills in
the area. The remains of a horse mill have also been discovered in
the northern part of Sutton Coldfield.
Several of these water mills were built in Sutton Park, using
the many small streams for power. To maintain a water supply to
these mills, millponds were created and these still survive as the
pools of Sutton Park. Besides corn milling, many other industries
also relied on the local water power, including spade forging,
steel rolling, boring gun barrels, leather dressing, cloth fulling,
button polishing and wood sawing. Some of the mills changed their
trade during their lifetime, two mills each having three trades
before becoming derelict. Even the area that is now occupied by
the Sutton Coldfield Gracechurch Centre was once a millpond. This
provided water for Town Mill, a corn (wheat) mill, with the
Parade, previously called The Dam, later built along the line of
the millpond dam.
New Hall Mill, originally milling wheat to provide flour for
the local area, underwent various rebuilding changes throughout
the years. Later, when larger roller mills could provide better
quality flour at a lower price, the miller abandoned flour
production and concentrated on part-time production of grist or
animal feed. For this, he used a very noisy hammer mill powered by
the diesel engine, the waterwheel being ignored as an unreliable
power source.
New Hall Mill, downstream of Sutton Park and Sutton Coldfield,
originally abstracted water from the Ebrook. A map of The Mills of Sutton Coldfield, based on
extensive research by Ken Williams into the lost mills of the
area, shows how the water could have been used many times by mills
upstream before it was abstracted at New Hall Mill. Additional
information on these mills may be obtained on Open Days.
Sutton Park, with archaeological remains from the Roman times
and earlier, is now an important National Nature Reserve, a Site
of Special Scientific Interest, and is widely used for recreation.
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