Broxbourne Mill

Destroyed by fire in 1949

The mill in 1910
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies

From reports in the Hoddesdon Journal and Hertfordshire Mercury, October 1949

‘One of the biggest fires in the district for many years was seen at Broxbourne in the early hours of October 1st, when the ancient Broxbourne Mill was destroyed.  The mill had recently been used as a factory.  Fire brigades from Cheshunt,  Ware and Hertford joined in fighting the blaze. 

The fire was discovered at 5am by Mr R Rikof who lives next to the factory and was woken by the reflection of the flames.  Fireman Gouldsmith of Hoddesdon was taken to hospital and detained with burns and Assistant Officer Cotton had an eye injury.  Mr T L Franklin of Broxbourne, aroused by the sound of fire engines turned out to follow his hobby of cine photography.  He obtained some spectacular shots of the fire and on Tuesday and wednesday at Esdale Hall showed the film to a large number of local people’.

A mill had stood on the site since Domesday and the building which burnt down was thought to be around 300 years old.  It was last used for grinding corn in the 1890s when it was owned by Charles Webster and his daughter.  And what did happen to that cine fim?

This page was added on 18/07/2012.

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  • My name is Raymond Gouldsmith and I discovered this article whilst researching for content to include in a book that I am proposing to write relating to my ’30 years’ service in the fire brigade.
    Fireman Gouldsmith of the Hoddesdon Brigade was my Father, my Mother and I were informed of his injury by the Police later in the morning. I am pleased to relate that he fully recovered from his injury and went on to complete 51 years with the Hertfordshire Fire Brigade serving as an operational fireman and a stores officer.
    I served at Welwyn Garden City and Hertford stations before moving to the Norfolk Fire Service in 1956, where I retired in 1980 with the rank of Divisional Officer.

    By Raymond Gouldsmith (18/10/2021)