An historic former silk mill is up for auction with Stags Dulverton.
If you are looking for a renovation project that is truly unique, then a fascinating property has just come up for auction in Dulverton. Stags Dulverton office is selling a 9,000 sq ft historic building located close to Dulverton town centre and dating back to 1829. Formerly a silk mill, the property is going up for auction at Taunton Racecourse on December 11 with a guide price of £225,000-£250,000.
“Set in the heart of Dulverton with outbuildings and parking, this classic water mill lends itself to regeneration, subject to planning permission,” says Simon Zeal of Stags Dulverton, who is marketing this property. “The main mill building is a substantial Grade II listed property over three floors and has more than 9,000 sq ft accommodation in total. With so many windows, the space is very light and bright inside.”
The mill building was originally owned by Henry Smith & Co and was initially built for handling wool, but was soon converted for silk and crape production. The machinery was powered by a large water wheel. It changed ownership several times in the 19th century and by 1897 the mill had become a carpenter's joinery, sharing the property with a laundry.
The laundry business subsequently occupied the whole building and was known as The Dulverton Laundry Company, which employed up to 35 people, mostly locals from the town, finally closing in March 2018.
“Dulverton town, at the southern foot of the Exmoor National Park, has a rich industrial heritage based around the milling industry. A medieval weir diverts water from the River Barle into a leat which flows through the town and provided power for water wheels in the past,” says Simon Zeal.
Also attached to the main building is a single storey boiler house and former wash rooms. The ground floor is mostly open plan with an added side building and former wheel house straddling the leat. The first floor is currently a work space with the top floor being a former owners apartment. The guide price for this lot is £225,000 - £250,000.
There are also two smaller lots in the same sale. A two-bay storage building within the remaining walls of an earlier mill, with both open-fronted and secure lock-up storage or garaging. This lot has a guide price £10,000-£15,000. A third building is an attached stone and brick-built former vehicle workshop with sectional sliding doors, with a guide price of £15,000-£18,000.
“The successful purchaser of Lot 1, the main building, will have first refusal to buy the other two lots,” says Simon Zeal.
The mill can be accessed via both Chapel Street and Bridge Street in the heart of Dulverton. At the rear the property comes with plenty of parking in a courtyard setting. The flow of the mill leat is controlled by the Environment Agency and starts from the River Barle at Northmoor Road and then divides just before flowing under the mill after which it continues back into the river.
