A History of Thames Watermills

The history of the River Thames is inexorably linked to the rights of navigation and water management. Long before there were pound locks on the River Thames, water management was haphazard at best and flooding was frequent. The vested interests in maintaining the river included millers and fishermen. The owners of the mills held sway over navigation, deliberately holding back the water to suit their interests, which led to conflict and, sometimes, fights and vandalism.

Many watermills had w...