Above the door on the east elevation is a panel with the Lucas arms, on the south elevation is a panel inscribed 'Thomas Lucas, miles, me fecit Ano Domini 1591'. The freestone rubble, with some brick, walls contain material from an earlier building, in particular 12th and 13th century material, probably from St John's Abbey. This re-used material includes many moulded stones and the base of a 12th century shaft <1> Bourne Mill, a late Elizabethan building built in 1591, probably as a fishing lodge. One-storeyed with mullioned windows and exuberant gables which go up in convex and concave curves, carrying four pairs of obelisks and a polygonal chimney. After the house was converted into a mill in the 19th century, a weatherboarded hoist was added <2> Outside walls are of flint, brick, tile and stone, likewise the string courses. Floored <3> Probably built on the site of a former mill - Bourne Ponds belonged to the Abbey. In the 17th century it was used as a cloth mill by Dutch refugees. It was used in this way until conversion to a corn mill in the 19th century.The interior has been converted to a dwelling but retains the mill machinery-3 grindstones and the water wheel. 'An exceptional building and very picturesque' <4> <5> <6> Drawings and 2 photos in the SMR <7> <8>

Site Assessment = SMC granted in 1990 for rebuilding of south gable stone chimneystack..

In 1993 there was a watching brief on works to prevent flooding in the cellar of Bourne Mill. In November a 3m wide trench was excavated against the leat inlet in the west wall of the mill, this exposed the external wall to a depth of 1.75m below ground level.
This exposure showed a sequence of relatively late repairs and alterations, of which the wall blocking may be associated with a rising of the leat level and perhaps a conversion of the mill wheel from an undershot to an overshot type. However, excavation to a much grater depth would be required to confirm this <9>.

Photo ref. <10>