The River Cray is the largest tributary of the River Darent. It is the prime river of outer, south-east Greater London, rising in Priory Gardens, Orpington, where rainwater percolates through the chalk bedrock of the Downs to form a pond where the eroded ground elevation gives way to impermeable clay. Initially it flows true to form northwards, past industrial and residential St Mary Cray, through St Paul's Cray (where it once powered a paper mill) and through Foots Cray, where it enters the parkland Foots Cray Meadows, flowing under by Five Arches bridge (built in 1781 as part of their designs by Capability Brown). It then flows by restored Loring Hall (c.1760), home of the Lord Castlereagh who killed himself there in 1822. It continues through North Cray and Bexley. It neighbours a restored Gothic (architecture) cold plunge bath house, built around 1766 as part of Vale Mascal Estate. It is then joined by the River Shuttle (a small brook) and then continues through the parkland of Hall Place, which was built for John Champneys in 1540. The Cray turns eastward through Crayford and Barnes Cray to join the Darent in Dartford Creek. The Creek is a well-watered partly tidal inlet (of the Tideway) between Crayford Marshes and Dartford Marshes by a slight projection of land, Crayford Ness. The villages through which the Cray flows are collectively known as "The Crays".
Overview
Clean-ups on the (non-tidal) river and campaigns for responsible
waterwheel carried on a cast iron axle which had replaced an earlier wooden one. Much of the machinery was of cast iron, including the wallower, great spur wheel and crown wheel. The upright shaft was of wood. The mill drove three pairs of millstones. Miller John Colgate had introduced steam power by the 1870s, and the tall chimney for the steam engine was known locally as "Colgate's Folly", as it did not function as well as intended.[5] The mill was used as a store in its final years before its demolition[4] in 1934 or 1935.[5]
Snelling's Mill, St Mary Cray
TQ 472 677
A weir near the Temple URC Church marked the site of a Domesday mill.[4] The mill was demolished in 1872 and the area landscaped as part of the grounds of a public park. William Joynson bought the mill for £8,000 to enable the creation of the park.[6]
The 13 ft 4 in (4.06 m) by 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) cast iron waterwheel survived. It was used to drive a beam pump which supplied water to fountains and conservatories at "The Rookery". The wheel was intact until 1962, when the shed it was in was stripped of ivy and exposed. The wheel was then vandalised and had been cleared away by March 1964.[5]
Upper Paper Mill, St Mary Cray
TQ 472 682
This mill stood opposite the Black Boy public house; it had an undershot
waterwheel. Nicholas Townsend was mentioned in insurance records in 1757, and William Sims in 1771.[7] In 1784 William Townsend was first mentioned as a paper maker in St Mary Cray.[8] In 1786 Samuel Lay of Sittingbourne was the paper maker; he was described as a master papermaker in 1801.[7] Martha Lay ordered two moulds in 1806.[7] Martha Lay was running the mill in 1816;[8] paper from this mill bore the watermarkMartha Lay 1804.[4][9][10] The mill ceased working in 1834.[8]
which stood near St Mary Cray church. It was replaced by a paper mill, then a paper factory and in recent years by a warehouse complex.
In 1787 this mill was being run by Henry Brightly. John Hall was the owner in 1816.
Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.[7][16]
St Paul's Cray Mill
TQ 474 694
In 1718 this mill had two waterwheels driving machinery for dressing leather in oil, and a third for corn milling. The mill was replaced by a paper mill, powered by a turbine.[4][9]
St Paul's Cray (Nash's) Paper Mill
TQ 474 694
This paper mill replaced the earlier corn mill.[4] Papermaking had been established by 1742. A steam engine had been installed by around 1820.[5] It was used in the 1830s as a meeting place for Baptists.[17] In 1845, Mary Ann Nash inherited the profits and rents of the mill until her sons came of age under the terms of her husband's will. Mary Ann Nash died on 7 June 1852. Thomas Nash enlarged the mill in 1853. After his death at the age of 21, his brother William was manager under the trustees until he came of age in 1857. William Nash was married twice, and had five children. In 1870 they moved from the Mill House to a new house called Crayfield House. It is recorded that the axle of the waterwheel protruded into the kitchen of the Mill House. William Nash died on 11 September 1879 and the mill was in the hands of trustees again. In 1898 a 250 horsepower (about 190 kW) double-expansion condensing steam engine by Pollitt & Wigzell was installed, along with a second paper machine. Shortly after this a secondhand dryer was purchased from Joynson's mill to replace one that had proved unsuitable.[14] By 1954 the site was a factory complex. It had been demolished by 1986.[5]
Foot's Cray Mill
Foot's Cray mill was a paper mill. By the 1870s it was used as a fabric printing works. In 1900 the mill was being used as a factory making photographic film. Its final function was the processing of silk. The paper mill had two cast iron overshot waterwheels in parallel. Each was 15 feet (4.57 m) diameter. One was 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m) wide and the other was 5 feet (1.52 m) wide. The mill was demolished in 1929.[5]
millstones.[5] It was owned by the Cannon family from 1839 to 1907.[18] Stephen Cannon was the first of the Cannon family, also running mills on the River Darent. The miller in 1872 was Stephen Cannon (son), who concentrated the business at Bexley, the mills on the Darent being sold.[18] A steam engine was installed in 1884, the tall chimney was built by a Mr Hart from Lancashire, who fell from the top whilst doing repairs and lived to tell the tale as his fall was broken by the roof of the engine house.[5] The Cannon family sold Bexley mill in 1907.[18] The mill was used in its latter days for making sacks.[19] A picture of the mill can be seen here. The mill was burnt down on 12 May 1966[5] and was replaced by the Old Mill PH, a pub with a mill theme.[20] In 2007, the pub/restaurant was converted into residential accommodation in the form of flats. Archaeological work carried out by Wessex Archaeology that took place prior to the redevelopment found that "Aside from the levelling deposits no archaeological deposits or remains were observed" and that "No traces of the medieval / post-medieval mill or of the wing shown on the 1873 Ordnance Survey maps of the area were observed" either.[21]
Hall Place Mill, Bexley
TQ 502 743
A Domesday site, this mill stood behind the mansion of Hall Place. The mill was run by the Cannon family at one time. It was a corn mill until 1882, and was then converted to a silk printing and flagmaking factory. It was demolished by a traction engine in 1925, with some of the main beams being sold to an American millionaire, Mr Brady. He used them in the construction of a mansion. The low breast shot waterwheel was 14 feet (4.27 m) by 9 feet (2.74 m) and powered at least two pairs of millstones.[5]
Swaisland's Printing Works, Crayford
TQ 517 748
A print works was established by Charles Swaisland in 1812. Two waterwheel symbols were marked on Greenwood's 1821 map. A cast iron and wood low breast shot waterwheel of about 10 feet (3.05 m) by 6 feet (1.83 m) was removed around 1948. It drove wooden drums for fabric washing. A second waterwheel was in existence in 1893.[5]
calico.[4] It was marked on Greenwood's 1821 map as Calico Mills.[5]
Lower (Iron) Mill, Crayford
TQ 528 755
This was the site of a plating mill built in the 16th century.
Shovell.[4] It was known as Crayford Iron Mill in 1800.[22] It had a breastshot waterwheel.[9] In 1817, it was replaced by Crayford Flour Mills.[5]
Crayford Saw Mill
TQ 528 755
This was a saw mill powered by a breast shot waterwheel.[9] It partnered Crayford Iron Mill from 1765. The timber for the floor of Buckingham Palace was produced here.[23] The saw mill stood alongside Crayford flour Mill;[5] it was standing in 1854.[23]
Crayford Flour Mills
TQ 528 755
Crayford Flour Mills were built in 1817. They were powered by a cast iron low breast shot waterwheel 28 feet (8.53 m) by 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) and drove five pairs of French Burr millstones. The upright shaft was wooden, with a cast iron wallower. The waterwheel and machinery were scrapped in 1914, when roller milling plant was installed, driven by gas engines.[5]
