A Brief History of Tocketts Mill
The Manor of Tocketts is recorded in the Domesday Book i n 1086, named as Tosceton. The settlement had a private chapel and a mansion, which was demolished c.1820. Stone from the building was used in the construction of Guisborough Town Hall in 1821, after the estate had been sold by the Chaloner family about a century earlier in 1715.
The Mill, the fields, the woodland and the valley of Tocketts were purchased by the 1st Earl of Zetland who had already built up a large estate of lands centred on Redcar, Marske and Upleatham.
Throughout the coming centuries various Millers held tenancies for ‘the dwelling house, water corn mill and land’ at Tocketts. The earliest recorded Miller was Daniel Moore c.1766. By 1792 the tenancy had been taken over by John Marr—it is recorded that he was able to grind wheat, rye, beans, peas and oats and that he had fine grade millstones (Bluestones or French Burrs) as well as Derbyshire Greys. Other Millers include Thomas Coulson c.1815, Thomas Pattison c.1827, George Hesletine c.1854, Christopher Nixon c.1877, Joseph Rowntree c.1887.
In 1900 the tenancy of the mill in its old form made its last change when William Seaton took over. William and members of his family lived on as tenants at Tocketts for 72 years.
When William came to Tocketts rural flour milling had declined severely although the milling of oats for animal meal continued and local farmers were still bringing their laden wagons to the mill each week. Business was good during the 1st World War. There were two carts and two rulleys both engaged on delivering to farmers. In addition, the ground floor of the mill was used as a buttery. After the 2nd World War milling declined rapidly and in 1960 the water wheel finally stopped work, subsequently it fell into disrepair.
Today Tocketts Mill Country Park is privately owned and operated as a Country park and Restaurant. The mill and house have since been renovated, and the mill is has official museum status and operated each summer from Easter to September as a tourist attraction – it is noted by English Heritage as one of the finest examples of working watermills in England. The former stables have been changed to a comfortable and popular Lounge Bar and busy Restaurant, and has been carefully constructed from old outbuildings without detracting from the outstanding woodland valley setting of Tocketts Mill Country Park.
