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• Laura Whittock's delving into
the history of Dotton Mill led to a Time Team investigation
of the ancient site.
Ref: 9937-27-06SH |
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• The Time Team in action.
Ref: P9933-27-06SH |
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| • TIME Team front man Tony Robinson
at the site. Ref: P9907-27-06SH |
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• The excavation in progress.
Ref: P9914-27-06SH |
CHANNEL 4's Time Team has excavated
the site of Dotton Mill – thanks to the hard work of
a village student, writes Matt Smith.
Laura Whittock, 26, decided to investigate the site as part
of an A level history project, which she studied at evening
classes.
Laura said: "I live next to the site so thought it would
be an ideal project. I looked at all the lumps and bumps in
the ground, particularly in relation to the leat."
This is a man-made water channel, which was dug from the nearby
River Otter to provide power for the mill.
Laura then conducted an earth survey of the mill site and
the surrounding area, which turned up a variety of 19th Century
china.
Ceramics from two centuries earlier were also found, but these
could have been transported to the site through muck spreading.
Laura also found flint heads, which were identified as Neothilic
or early Bronze Age scrapers, indicating the site was first
occupied at least 4,000 years ago.
Next up was a trip to the Devon Records Library to sift through
ancient documents in a bid to trace the mill's history.
"I looked at the old maps and, through this, tracked
the development of the site.
"I found over 200 years of history. The mill was passed
down through the generations and the milling families seemed
to have a lot of children,” Laura said.
Her investigations established there were once 10 buildings
in the mill complex, with the mill itself three storeys high.
The corn would arrive from nearby farms on horse and cart.
This was ground into flour, which was then sold to local bakers.
She began compiling her report and contacted Martin Watts,
a local archaeologist and mill expert.
He then recommended Dotton Mill to Time Team, which was looking
to excavate its first-ever mill site.
Laura's endeavours saw her invited to join the television
team on the dig.
She said: "The excavation was exciting. You feel you
know the presenters because you've seen them so often on the
television, but it was quite surreal to work with them in
the flesh.
"The dig was really successful. We managed to trace the
mill as far back as the 17th Century and there are mentions
of a mill in the area in Domesday Book.
"The team also found the wheel pit and two millstones,
which were used to grind the corn."
The success of the Dotton project has spurred Laura on to
begin an Open University degree in history. "It really
whetted my appetite. I would like to go into archaeology or
museum work."
History of Dotton Mill
THE ancient manor of Dotton predates the Domesday Book
of 1086, by which time a mill was already operating
on the site. It was recognised as a civil parish in
1868, but was incorporated into Colaton Raleigh in 1894.
The manor passed through the hands of Baldwin, Sheriff
of Devon, the Cistercian monks from Dunkeswell Abbey,
the Duke family of Otterton and the Rolle family, before
becoming part of Clinton Devon Estates.
When the Duke family purchased the manor of Colaton
Abbot in 1546, which included Dotton, it allowed them
to set up a manorial court.
This met every October and ensured tenants paid their
rents and tithes.
Records show wheat, barley and oats were the primary
'corn' crops, while potatoes, carrots, peas and turnips
were grown in the gardens.
The population of the hamlet never exceeded more than
five families, but, uniquely for a settlement of its
size, it once boasted a church and mill. This would
indicate a stable and industrious community, which was
probably self-sufficient in food and fodder.
Historians are unsure why Dotton developed, but its
sheltered location above the river flood level with
good water supplies are likely to have been factors.
In 1888, the parochial manor was described as a 'triangular
domain of about 212 acres, on the west bank of the River
Otter and around 3.5 miles from its mouth'.
Extensive research by Budleigh Salterton historian Harry
Lane has revealed that the mill passed through a number
of families.
For example, William Farrant took up the tenancy around
1640 and it passed through three generations of his
family, before being taking over by the Stokes family.
The Carters occupied the mill for much of the 19th Century.
The last millers were the Creed family, who took over
in 1936 following the death of the previous incumbent,
Mr Lethbridge, but they complained about the delapidated
state of the mill and its equipment.
During World War Two milling declined considerably because
farmers could not obtain coupons for the feeding products
they needed.
The mill was used for the last time in 1946 and was
demolished in 1968 because it was considered unsafe.
For further information, read The Story of Dotton by
Harry Lane.
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