Lock 9, Molecey’s Mill, was quite an important one as it was controlled by the turnpike keeper who needed to keep his eye on those trying to evade paying tolls on either the turnpike road alongside or the canal.

The bridge over the canal from the road to the mill also allowed access to the tongue of land to the east where because of the mill (and the toll bar!), goods were being stored in farmers pounds for transporting in either direction - as this scan of an old map shows.

Redrawing it over a modern map gives a better impression of it.

Most of the standard goods such as coal going up and malt coming down weren't a problem but freshly ground flour of different types in different sizes were a bigger problem and the lock-keepers wages depended on them getting it right!

The canal is still visible in front of the mill but access to the lock is restricted.

 

A quick peek inside the mill shows us how the main part of it worked.

These photos were taken in 2020 of the recently refurbished workings.

The water wheel turns the horizontal shaft through the wall, which drives the cogs, to turn the vertical shaft, to turn the stone, to grind the flour! Obviously!  < Back

 

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