Factory History at The Mill, Old Basford
In 1927 Greenwood & Co. relocated from Nottingham city centre to Mill Close, Old Basford, creating their factory in a building which used to be a water-powered corn mill, called Gregory’s Mill on Fire Insurance maps of 1893. A newspaper advertisement suggests the mill was built in 1851 but we have yet to prove this. In its working life the mill was powered by the River Leen, and ground corn brought in by local people. Anecdotally it ceased to function as a mill after it suffered a fire (this has not been substantiated). The waterwheel had already been removed by the time Greenwood & Co. bought the building. The building is still in use today but it now a residential property. If the story about the fire is true then coincidentally a few years later the same building was to suffer another fire. More about this below.
Location of the mill (now residential)
1893 Fire Insurance Map names the mill as Gregory’s Corn Mill
The mill was chosen because of the space it offered over two storeys and its proximity to nearby Basford Railway Station.
During Greenwood & Co.’s occupancy the building suffered a fire overnight on 6th-7th September 1934, which was reported in the Nottingham press on 7th September 1934 (see article below). The fire gutted the top floor of the building which was used as the company joiner’s shop.
The building was insured and as subsequently repaired. Alterations were carried out at the same time.
The area around the building was subject to frequent flooding from the River Leen. Action was taken in 1962 to divert the river away from Lincoln Street which meant that water no longer flowed under the building.
After Greenwood & Co. closed, the building was converted into its present use as flats (see below).
For further information about Greenwood & Co., the mill, the River Leen and the surrounding area please visit this external website (new window).
You should just about be able to make out the Greenwood & Co. sign-writing above the entrance in the first image and on the side of the building in the second image which shows the factory by the River Leen.
Incidentally, it is possible that a nearby estate pub, The Mill, built in 1964, was named after this mill but bear in mind that this was not the only mill to have existed in Old Basford. See https://whatpub.com/pubs/NOT/154/mill-nottingham.
Do you have any more information about the old corn mill on Lincoln Street/Mill Close? Especially pre-1921. If so, we would love to hear from you.
Gallery
Click the images to expand.