Hull's Mill is situated on the river Colne, at Sible Hedingham in Essex and was in use as a flour mill until around 1953.

Mechanically it was driven by a water wheel, then after the First World War it was converted to be powered by a turbine and a gas engine and the water mill removed. Ravilious moved to Hedingham in 1935 and painted this in the months after his arrival in the village. We can see no traces of the former water wheel in the watercolour, but the exhaust stack to the left gives a clue to the turbine and gas apparatus in use, and the bags of flour in the open doorway of the shed indicate that the mill was still in use.

Provenance

Private collection.


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