Mill Dam

brian c · Post by **brian c** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:39 pm

Just as a matter of interest, why is it called the mill dam?

Jim_in_France · Post by **Jim_in_France** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:55 pm

I dont know brian. Theres neither a Mill, Nor a Dam there!

memor · Post by **memor** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 8:13 pm

It named after a man called Fred Mill.

He get drunk a lot and staggering on his way home in the dark would topple over the edge.

Every time he went over he was heard to shout "DAMN !!!!" just before he hit the water.

Hence it go into history. MILL DAM.

brian c · Post by **brian c** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 8:35 pm

I just knew there was a simple explanation memor.

jimmywizz · Post by **jimmywizz** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 9:44 pm

brian there used to be another small river that ran around the back of the market place and church this used to run into the tyne at that point so i guess there could have been a mill on it in them days

memor · Post by **memor** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:12 pm

My explanation much more interesting don't you think.

Jim_in_France · Post by **Jim_in_France** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:10 pm

But if there was a dam, wouldnt it flood the market?

brian c · Post by **brian c** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:01 am

Maybe thats why Tyne Dock floods now.

By taking the dam away the've upset the eco system.

memor · Post by **memor** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:30 pm

It strange but if you look at old maps of Shields.

It clearly says on the north side (North Shields) "Mill Dam."

So there was a Mill dam on the North Side too.

Nothing marked Mill Dam on the south side.

So did we pinch the name and if we did why ???

baldy.smith · Post by **baldy.smith** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:55 pm

You must have the map upside down memor. My map of 1895 clearly shows the Mill Dam at South Shields, along with the Mill Dam Timber yard, Mill Dam Landing Stage all where they are supposed to be. My map of North Shields from the same period only covers the Mouth of the Tyne down to the ferry landing.

memor · Post by **memor** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:20 pm

No it clearly says Mill Dam.

But I look again will get back soon

Cuthbert · Post by **Cuthbert** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:09 pm

I recently saw a set of table mats with artwork of old durham, one had a drawing captioned "South Shields" and it showed a big lock system spanning the Tyne between North and South Shields, there were two sets of lock gates to hold a water level in the Tyne at low tide and what looked like toll gates. It could have been around the area of Mill Dam. (I always thought it was short for Middle Dam).

I have never seen such a picture or depiction before, maybe just a fantasy drawing to sell tat. I didn't buy them as they were £8.50 in a charity shop in Slough, bit steep. If they are still there at the weekend I will have a closed look.

mr-angry · Post by **mr-angry** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:22 pm

You could have a point there cuthbert, mill dam is right next to middle docks.

Pilot · Post by **Pilot** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:34 pm

Mill dam is so named because there was once a mill at the location the power for the mill came from a large water wheel, I have seen a painting of the mill but not sure where, it may have been in the old library in Ocean Road. There was a small river that ran from the sea along the line of Ocean Road, Coronation Street to Mill Dam and then joined the Tyne. As far as I can recall we are talking about the 1600/1700s.

baldy.smith · Post by **baldy.smith** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:57 pm

I've just been looking at an old map of the area dated 1768.

It shows the Mill Dam as a lake with the dam at the rivers edge. The lake was long and narrow and ran from a place called Mill Dam Head.

There is no indication of a Mill anywhere on the map.

The Lake was about 12 chains long which converted to modern measurements made it just under 800 feet long and about 120 feet wide, quite a size.

I'm still looking for further information which I will update when I find out more.

baldy.smith · Post by **baldy.smith** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:46 pm

Update

There was a mill but it was a windmill and not a water mill. The mill was situated in Mill Field and was owned by the Corporation of Newcastle. It lay north of the line of Bath Street and to the south of the Docken Field.
The Mill was roughly about where the old Shields Station was. The Mill Field Creek as the stream and Lake were called were filled in when Ballast Hill was levelled. That took place in 1816.
It seems that the Lake and Pan Creek were very popular. The Lake covered an area of eight and a half acres.
There is a lot more information on it but I have just put the main details down on here.

Pilot · Post by **Pilot** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:16 pm

There were lots of windmills dotted all over the place, there was one at windmill hill in laygate for instance but I have seen an old painting of a mill at mill dam powered by a water wheel. I think the lake you refer to is the last remains of what was a small river running from the sea and joining the Tyne at Mill dam.

baldy.smith · Post by **baldy.smith** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:24 pm

There were two "Watermills" at the Mill Dam owned by Sheeles Mills who were often fined for not maintaing the bridge across the dam; also the footpaths which ran alongside of the Lake
The water in the lake was supplied by the River Branin.
The lake was filled by tidal water which came as far up as Catherine Street. St Hildas Church backed onto the northern side of the lake.
The Mills were housed in a large stone building which stood at what is now the entrance to Cowans Place, just above the seamens mission. The Mills only worked when the tide was in. The building housing the water mills was later turned into tenement property.

Pilot · Post by **Pilot** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:42 pm

When I said ran from the sea to mill dam I was just referring to path it took but once a river becomes tidal it floods from the sea upstream and ebbs downstream to the sea the whole cycle takes just over twelve hours.
Dont forget that Shields in the 1600s ran along the river the lawe top was fields and it was much later that the town spread south away from the river. I have seen a painting of a mill at mill dam with a water wheel I just dont recall where I saw it, it was an old oil painting. When the houses that were situated around Woodbine street were built in the 19th century it was reported that the remains of a Viking longship were found in mud near what is now the Denmark Centre, when they built the Denmark centre a dig was carried out to try to locate the longship but they found nothing. The Lawe was once an island.

baldy.smith · Post by **baldy.smith** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:49 pm

Re check my post pilot, I have edited it to bring it up to date with more infromation which I have just found.