A ‘well known and well accustomed water corn mill, called Haggerstone’s Mill, being a populous situation, belonging to the Lords of Winlaton, and now occupied by Robert Turnbull as tenant’ was advertised to be let on the 15 April 1783
[Newcastle Chronicle]. Robert Trumble was still tenant in 1790, paying 15/- for a 16th part [NRO ZCO IV/41], but by 1796 had been succeeded by Thomas Wood [NRO ZCO IV 35]. The location of this mill is confirmed by an undated but probably late 18th century plan [DRO D/X 35/5] which shows a large building called ‘Winlaton Manor Mill’, almost identical in footprint to, and clearly on the site of, the Haggerston’s Mill marked on the 1st edition OS of 1856.

There is no mention of the mill in the Silvertop (Dockendale) rentals for 1804, but in 1823 Matthias Dunn claimed, on behalf of P.E.Townely, the site of the mill dam and race now used by the Lords of Winlaton for Haggerstone’s Mill, the said lords only having right or privilege of water passing along their estate. [NRO 404/238].

In 1823 John Fenwick is given as tenant of a ‘messuage, mill, garth and land’ [NRO 404/238, 74] and about two years layer a ‘Corn Mill with 2 pair of stones’ occupied by the heirs of John Fenwick were valued at £25p.a. In 1825 the mill building was described as being out of repair, though the dam and other features were in ‘fair condition’ [NRO 404/ 238, 106].

A corn mill called ‘Fenwick’s Mill’, which is clearly on the same site as ‘Haggerston’s Mill’ is shown on a plan of Stella Freehold Estate in 1837 [DRO NCB 1/ SC/1000], and marked as ‘Corn Mill’ on another plan of that year [DRO D/X 35/16], and appears again on the 1838 Tithe map [ASC Tithe Winlaton] (Figure 19). The identification of ‘Fenwick’s Mill’ with the site marked as such on the 1st edition OS is again confirmed by an early 19th century section showing the heights of the mill dams and falls in water level along the Burn [ASC Z GBP/67].

By 1841 some confusion arises over the identity of Fenwick’s Mill. The Census returns for Winlaton Township that year give only two mills - a Flint Mill (which can be equated with the High Mill, Gazetteer 20), and ‘Fenwick’s or Haggerston’s Mill’ . Here there were two households: one was that of the miller, Robert Stokoe, aged 50, his wife Mary and their two children Jane, 15, and William, 10. The other family was that of an agricultural labourer, Joseph March, his wife Ann and four daughters aged from 1 month to 15 years [DRO M 27.4].

Ten years later, in 1851, and only ‘Fenwick Mill’ is listed. The miller was now Charles Robson, aged 62, a native of Glanton in Northumberland, with his wife Elizabeth, who was born in Kirkwhelpington. The Robsons had two sons, Joseph, 13, a coal miner, and Robert, 11, a labourer at the Brick Works, and two daughters, Jane and May aged 9 and 1 respectively [DRO M3/38]. Seventeen other households are listed under ‘Fenwick Mill’ in the census, but it seems unlikely that these were all actually living within the premises.

In 1861, perhaps because of the influence of the 1858 Ordnance Survey in establishing placenames, only ‘Haggerstones Mill’ is listed in the Census [DRO M9/27]. Two households are again mentioned. One was that of Barbara Fenwick, a Spinster, aged 45, and the other Robert and Jane Wintrip, and their young sons William and Robert. Robert Wintrip senior is described as aged 27 and a Flint Miller [Census]. As there is no evidence that Haggerstone’s Mill was ever used for flint milling, it is possible that Robert Wintrip was actually working the High Mill/Dunn’s Mill.

In 1871 ‘Haggerston’s Mill’ was occupied by a widow, Ann Bagnall, her sons Joseph, 26 and William, 24, both File Cutters, Richard, 22, Hardwareman, daughter Hannah Minto Bagnall, 14, her neice Thomason Gray and a ‘Servant and File-cutter’ William Watson. These Bagnalls appear to be related to the firm of R.S. Bagnall & Sons, in 1855-6 makers of chains, nails, spades, shovels and hinges, who also carried out all types of Engine Work in their branches at Winlaton and the High Forge, Swalwell [Hodgson]. By this date the power source of the mill had presumably been converted to power a forge.

In 1881, the last time the mill appears, only Ann Bagnall and her son William, described as a merchant, were in residence. It was disused and apparently derelict by 1898, and by 1913-14 the mill site had been subsumed under extensive railway sidings and buildings associated with Priestman Collieries’ use of Blaydon Burn Colliery.

No visible remains upstanding. Associated with Fenwick’s/Haggerstone’s Mill (42). The earliest representation of these features is on a plan of c.1823 (Figure 19), though there appears to have been a mill here since at least 1769. The line of the mill pond is just visible amongst the undergrowth but the area was considerably overgrown. Overgrown.

This can probably be equated with the premises advertised to let in 1813 in the Newcastle Courant: ‘a mill situated at Blaydon Burn, the property of the late Robert Paddison, lately deceased, has been employed in the manufacture of flint for different potteries, in an extensive line, together with flint kiln, a good dwelling house and all other suitable conveniences for carrying on the same’.

In 1834 the mill was worked by J Cowen & Co. [Davidson 145]. On the 1838 Tithe map and accompanying award it is described as ‘Dunns Flint Mill & grounds’, occupied by Matthew William Dunn and part of the Towneley estate [ASC Tithe Winlaton] (Figure 16).

In 1841 the mill was run by Walter Wintrip aged 45 ‘Flint miller’, who had been born in Scotland [Census]. Although Wintrip is described as married and had a son, William, aged 10, his wife is not listed suggesting he was a widower. The miller’s household also included a 13-year old girl, Jane Athey.

In 1851 the Flint Mill is not specifically named, but Walter Wintrip ‘Flint manufacturer’ is listed as resident in Blaydon Burn. The mill is marked as being for ‘Flint’ on the 1st edition OS of 1858, with ancilliary buildings including a kiln (21). By 1871 [Census] another Robert Wintrip, aged 37 and presumably related to the Robert Wintrip listed in 1841, had moved from Haggerstone’s Mill and was a ‘Flint grinder’ at the ‘Flint Mill’.

Wintrip and his family were still there in 1881, but by 1896 [OS 2] the mill was disused and uninhabited, some of the associated buildings had been demolished and the mill race was filled in. However the water wheel appears to have still been in position, and the miller’s house was still standing [Bourn].

A photograph of c.1890 [Blaydon in Old Picture Postcards, 73] shows a range of two buildings apparently of sandstone rubble with pantiled roofs, a large out-building, possibly a cart shed, with a cat-slide roof, two brick chimneys and an overgrown dam in the background, in the face of which a square power take-off is visible (Figure 17).

The mill is marked as ‘disused’ on the 2nd edition OS of 1896 and by 1914 had disappeared under the Coke Ovens (37).

There are no visable remains. Associated with the High Mill (35) and shown on the 1st edition OS (1858). The mill pond appears to have been considerably reduced in size; an earlier, larger pond is indicated by the width of the dam. The start of a headrace is indicated in silting within the pond, but is not clearly visible on the mill side, and the tailrace appears some 43m north of the mill. This may suggest that by 1858 water was no longer providing the motive power for the mill, which is marked as ‘disused’ on the 2nd edition OS of 1896 and by 1914 [3rd edition OS] had disappeared under the Coke Ovens (37). No visible remains.

This Drop, on the Tyne, was possibly related to the Blaydon Burn Wagonway (HER ref. 3424) which ended nearby. The remains are not of staithes in the modern sense of the term - are they not the retaining walls comprising the structures where coal from Blaydon Burn Bessie Pit loaded into railway wagons?

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence marks the site of a Drop on the Tyne near Stella House.

A small sand pit was being worked on this site in the late 19th century, and grew considerably in the early years of 20th century to be of substantial size by the time of the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map (1919).

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence marks the site of Bog Pit (Coal).

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence marks the site of a Coal Yard on the Towneley Main Wagonway (HER ref. 3317).

This Coal Pit is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.

Stella Staith was the northern terminus of the Towneley Main wagonway (HER ref. 3317).

Stella Brewery was probably built c.1778, this date coming from a weather cock marked "I.H & Co. 1778". It was owned by James Hutchinson, passed to Mr S.C. Thompson and in 1854 belonged to Messrs Parker and Company. It was last used by Mr John P Dalton.