High Mill was Built in about 1770 on Darley Beck, just below the present Ponden Mill, off the Darley-Dacre road. High Mill has served a number of functions over the years, it has alternately found work as a flax and then a bobbin mill, more recently it was involved in the production of paints and varnish.
A history of the mill and the associated High Mill House has been written by Richard Bruce and this may be read by following this link.
The plan of 1897 and the map of 1807 show High Mill and its mill pond, the latter clearly labelling the mill's function as 'Paint, Colours and Varnish'. High Mill House is not on the plan, but can be seen on the map, located by the roadside on the track to the mill.
The following photograph shows the mill and Darley Beck in about 1900 and the mill pond can be seen over the stone wall of the Beck to the right. The water wheel housing can be seen on the right hand gable end of the mill.
The following photographs show the mill before it was converted into a private home in 1965. The extensions built on to the right hand gable end indicate that these photographs were taken at different dates. Although the photographs are not dated, the first in the series has the appearance of being the oldest.
The three following photographs were clearly all taken on the same occasion, a year or so before the conversion of the property.
The mill was converted to a private home in 1965 and the following photograph shows the recently converted mill, which was renamed Bright Waters Mill.
Can we surmise that the car to be seen in these photographs, including the one showing the converted property belongs to the new owners of the mill, Mr and Mrs Tyndall?
The following advertisement relates to the sale of the property in 1972, when it was purchase by Mr and Mrs Moore.
The following photographs were taken in May 2005.
The mill pond has now been filled in and replaced by a lawn.
There are traces of the mill wheel carving the stone of the wall in what is now the greenhouse, the mill race following a path across the drive.
In the next photograph, the figure on the right is Mrs Moore and on the right, Mr Bruce, the owner of High Mill House.
Thanks go to Mr and Mrs Moore for permission to reproduce the old photographs and the estate agent advertisement on the site, copyright of the images belongs to them.