Grantchester Mill c.1890
Grantchester Mill, Cambridge c.1890.
These photographs are of a previously unpublished Victorian photograph album acquired at auction in Ely in 2026. It is one of a series documenting Cambridge and locations throughout Cambridgeshire.
You can the full album by clicking HERE.
Grantchester Mill c.1890 MBHPC-017
Photograph 017
Reference: MBHPC-017
Title: Grantchester Mill, side elevation with horse and covered wagon.
Identification: Grantchester Mill, Mill Way, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire.
Confidence: 100%
Date: c.1880–1910 (subject to refinement).
Photographer: Unknown.
Photographic process: Albumen print (probable).
Description: Side elevation of Grantchester Mill showing the projecting upper storey over the cart entrance. A horse-drawn covered wagon stands beneath the overhang, while poultry roam freely around the yard. The adjoining roadway and bridge are visible to the right, with mature trees beyond.
Notes: The photograph shows Grantchester Mill before its destruction by fire in October 1928. The distinctive overhanging upper storey, brick side wall with decorative iron wall ties, and cart entrance correspond closely with known photographs of the mill before the fire.
The presence of the covered wagon provides an evocative glimpse of the daily operation of the mill, illustrating the transport of grain or flour by horse-drawn vehicle during the late Victorian or Edwardian period.
You can see more old pictures of Grantchester Mill by clicking HERE
The photograph within the album
Grantchester Mill c.1890 MBHPC-017
Part of the Michelle Bullivant Victorian Photograph Collection (MBHPC), comprising previously unpublished photographs from a Victorian album purchased at auction in Ely in 2026.
© Michelle Bullivant. Image from the Victorian Photograph Album Collection. Please contact the author before reproducing.
While I have identified many of the locations, some remain uncertain. If you recognise a place, can help identify a building, date a photograph, or have any other information to add, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Simply scroll to the bottom of this page and leave a comment in the box provided. Your knowledge could help solve some of these little historical mysteries and add to our understanding of Cambridgeshire's rich past.
If you have enjoyed exploring this collection and would like to support the work that I do to rescue, preserve and share local history collections such as this, you can do so by clicking your preferred donation button at the bottom of this page.
Every contribution, however small, helps me continue saving, researching and making these remarkable pieces of Cambridgeshire's history freely available for everyone to enjoy.