History of Houghton Mill

Early beginnings of the Mill

No one knows for sure the exact origins of the mill, but early documents tell us that by AD 974 the manor of Houghton, including a mill, was given to the newly established Ramsey Abbey. The area would have been surrounded by fertile agricultural land and all the local tenant farmers were beholden to bringing their grain here to be made into flour or they faced being fined by the abbey. They also had to pay a proportion of their grain (a custom known as 'multure') to the abbey.

The relationship between the local villagers and the abbey’s managers of the mill was not always harmonious. There are documented reports of serious flooding in the area caused by the introduction of sluice gates to hold back the river flow. The rioting villagers successfully campaigned to have them removed.

After the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s the abbey’s lands and mill were taken over by the Crown. Ownership eventually passed to the Earls of Manchester, who leased out the mill as a commercial concern.

Victorian flour power

During the 18th century there was a rapid development in mill technology, and this marked the start of a very prosperous period for Houghton Mill. Along this central 70-mile stretch of the River Great Ouse there would potentially have been around 120 watermills.

Grain arrived from far and wide using barges on the river. The course of the River Great Ouse around Houghton Mill had to be diverted to maximise the amount of waterpower needed to enlarge the mill. At peak production there were three working waterwheels and 10 pairs of millstones operated by a team of 18 people.

Houghton Mill reached the height of its prosperity around 1850 under the management of successive members of the Brown and Goodman families. At this point the mill was producing a tonne of top-quality flour per hour, which was sold as far away as London and Leicester.

The millers behind the success

Potto Brown and Joseph Goodman built up a thriving milling business that produced high-quality flour using French burr millstones and the latest machinery.

Potto Brown’s father, William Brown, was a baker and miller in Earith before he moved to run Houghton Mill. Joseph Goodman and Potto Brown met when they were at school together at Slepe Hall in St Ives. Together they became business partners and took over the running of the mill in 1821, after Potto's father retired.

Following Goodman's death in 1844, Brown continued to expand the business by embracing new technology and building steam-powered mills at St Ives and Godmanchester with the help of Goodman's sons.

The village philanthropist

Once Potto Brown had established his wealth and success he focused on religion and charity work. He founded the chapel in Houghton and schools in Houghton and St Ives. After his death in 1871, a bronze bust was erected in the village square which still stands today.

Decline of the watermill

In the second half of the 19th century the march of technology took milling in a different direction. There was a move away from using millstones and Houghton Mill couldn’t compete with the newly built local mills (also managed by Brown and Goodman) that were now powered by steam.

At the same time the agricultural economy was in decline following the repeal of the Corn Laws. Imported grain from overseas was available more cheaply and in the greater quantities needed to feed the rapidly expanding population, as a result of the industrial revolution. For economic reasons this grain tended to be processed close to the ports of entry.

By the 1920s the mill had been sold several times and was working at a much-reduced rate, probably only for local animal feed. Houghton Mill closed in 1928 when the last miller, Arthur Chopping, retired and the waterwheels were removed.