The Grade II listed Holdingham farmhouse dates from the late C18. It forms part of a complex with mill buildings.

Mark Acton, 2008 

Listed in Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 :-

"Thompson Arthur Ernest, Jolly Scotchman P .H. Holdingham"

DB 27 August 2019

This lock was built when the New River Slea was made navigable in 1794, linking Sleaford to the Witham at Chapel Hill.

Holdingham Lock is built of brick with iron reinforcing bands and stone cappings.

A channel of the river drives Holdingham Mill, seen to the left.

The bridge spans the lock giving access to the trackway leading south-eastwards to Evedon. 

October 2011

Holdingham Lock on the Slea Navigation looking upstream (south) from the timber bridge over the lock.

The lock gates have been replaced by a simple weir which enables the navigation to continue working as a drainage channel.

The lock walls on the navigation were constructed in brick with sandstone cappings.

Some water flowing down the navigation was diverted from the main channel just before the lock to provide water to run the mill. This to the right (west) of the lock and no longer carries water.

Mark Acton, 2008

Attached to the rear (south) of the main mill building is the miller's cottage dating from the mid-18th century.

The mill was extended in the 1850s and 60s (roofless structure in the foreground) to facilitate grain cleaning and flour dressing.

At the same time a steam engine was installed to provide additional power and to drive additional stones. The base of the engine shed is seen on the extreme right.

Mark Acton, 2008

Holdingham Mill is on the Slea Navigation, two miles north-east of Sleaford. It was built in the early nineteenth century by Samuel Cropper.

The mill ceased working in the mid-twentieth century.

The mill was built in two phases. The earliest half of the building, alongside the navigation and furthest from the camera, dates from the 1790s, shortly after the River Slea was made navigable.

A substantial extension, built in red brick with pantiles roof like the original building, was added in the mid-19th century.

The windows and loading door at first floor level are original features but new vehicular entrances with concrete lintels have been created in the ground floor.

Mark Acton, 2008

On the west side of the navigation, and about ten metres north of the mill, is this minute hexagonal building.

Built around 1860, it is thought to have served as an office or counting house for the mill.

Mark Acton, 2008

The steam-driven shaft runs horizontally across this image. The large 'fly wheel' to the left carried a belt to link the water and steam powered drive shafts. 

One of the bevel geared drives to a pair of stones can be seen behind the green Acrow Prop.

Mark Acton, 2008

A horizontal shaft powered by steam engine ran through the ground floor and through bevel gearing drove three pairs of stones on the first floor stone room.

Mark Acton, 2008

The wheel house, at the eastern end of the mill, is positioned over the mill race.

The low-breast-shot wheel is entirely constructed in timber. It is twelve feet in diameter and carries 36 buckets.

Mark Acton, 2008