The area and the mill are first mentioned in the Domesday Book as being owned by “Perenduna / induna: Barking Abbey" as early as 1066. Established in the 7th century, Barking Abbey was one of the richest Benedictine Nunneries in the country. It owned large swathes of land including what came to be known as the parish of Little Parndon, that this mill fell within.
With the arrival of the Normans, its' ownership was usurped by Count Eustace and Roger from Peter de Valognes, who also owned Latton Lock (No.9 in this series).
The Mill
Parndon Mill always struggled for power, being so close to Burnt Mill (No.10 in this series), but it has milled corn all its working life. The millers’ house to the left of the white mill buildings (as you approach in a southward direction) was added in 1717, and at the height of its production in 1881, the mill employed "11 men and 2 boys".
The current white mill buildings were re-built in 1895 after it was badly damaged by fire, and by 1908 it was using steam for 60% of its power. The last record of the mill's production comes in 1948, and as with all watermills it fell into dilapidation at the hands of the Victorian Industrial Revolution.
In 1968 it was offered for sale to artist Sally Anderson. She and a host of volunteers set about renovating the mill building to its former glory and it once again thrives, though its' corn milling days are well over.
If you approached the mill from Harlow, you probably crossed the “Over The Weir” footbridge by Parndon Mill artists Alan Freeman and Karen Murphy. It was installed in 2007.
Parndon Mill is one of only 3 Stort mills, whose building still stands.
The Lock
Originally built as a turf-sided lock in 1769 and rebuilt in brick and concrete in 1913. There is a 2007 sculpture sited here on the north side of the lock by Angela Godfrey entitled "Flowing Onwards".
It was inspired by the engineer, Thomas Yeoman, speaking in October 1769, at the first opening of the River Stort Navigation.
It highlights how the new navigation opened up the river Stort for transport to... “the Lea and onwards to the Thames then out to the sea and so to all the ports of the world.”
