Passingford Bridge

Passingford Bridge

There are frequent references in the records to Passingford
Bridge, important because of its position across the Roding
on the main road from London to Ongar. In the late 16th
century there was uncertainty as to who was responsible for
the bridge, probably because it spanned the parish boundary
with Stapleford Abbots. By 1593, however, the county had
accepted responsibility for repairing it. In 1785 it was rebuilt
in brick. In 1858 the county surveyor commented that the
bridge was narrow and 'situate at a very inconvenient angle
with the road'. It has been strengthened and repaired at
various times and one pier was rebuilt in 1952. 13

The old bridge could not cope with the increasing amount of
traffic it was expected to carry and it was replace by a new
structure in the 1970's.

Passingford Mill

Passingford Mill, which is about 1/4 mile west of Passingford
Bridge, just within the boundary of Stapleford Abbots,
belongs to Suttons and is said to have replaced an earlier
mill south of Suttons. It is a timber-framed and weather-boarded building of three
stories and probably dates from the 18th century. Inside the
mill are the names and dates of various millers, the earliest
being a Zach Tuck, 1760. In about 1931 a turbine was
installed and later the water wheel was cleared away. In a
map of 1777 a windmill as well as a water-mill is shown in
this position.

The present Mill House has been converted from a pair of
weather-boarded cottages, probably dating from the late 18th
century. The former Mill House is farther west. It was
probably built late in the 17th or early in the 18th century and
has a treble hipped roof. The chimney has diagonal shafts.

On the south wall is a painted wood sundial with a
pedimented top; this bears the date 1635 and the inscription
Horas non numero nisi serenas'.