The story of the Britannia Flour Mills is one of rapid evolution, marking Portslade’s shift from a rural landscape of windmills to a powerhouse of modern industry.
The Birth of a Landmark (1853) The steam-powered mill was built in 1853 for John Borrer, a prominent local figure who already owned the nearby Copperas Gap windmill. Built on the site of an even older mill, the new structure stood at the south end of Church Road in the area then known as Copperas Gap. It was a massive undertaking, eventually covering 31,000 square feet with granary walls that towered 75 feet into the Sussex sky.
The Smith Dynasty and Electric Dreams By 1856, ownership passed to Charles Richard Smith. Under the family firm C.R. Smith & Sons, the mills became a pioneer of modern technology. They were among the first in the country to replace traditional millstones with high-speed roller mills.
Their most ambitious leap came in 1912 when the Britannia became only the second mill in England to be powered by electricity. This was no easy feat; the family had spent four years lobbying for the power supply after their initial application in 1908.
Life on the Canal Wharf The mills were a hive of activity, overlooking a reinforced concrete wharf on the canal. Local residents long remembered the sight of barges laden with corn mooring at the quay and the rhythmic swing of grain sacks being hoisted into the heights of the granary. Historically, the wharf held a special distinction: it was the final place in Shoreham Harbour where the last of the Great Thames sailing barges would unload their grain before reloading with Portslade-milled flour.
The Final Flourish (1930–1936) The Smith family were well-regarded neighbours, known for their public spirit—even allowing the local Fire Brigade to use the towering buildings for training exercises. However, the era of independent family milling was drawing to a close. Around 1930, the business was sold to Mark Mayhew Ltd, one of the world's largest milling firms.
By 1933, the machinery fell silent, and in the autumn of 1936, the great structure was demolished. It was during this final act that the site gave up one last secret: a stone bearing the date 1725 was found in the foundations, confirming that the "Britannia" site had been the heart of Portslade’s food production for over two centuries.
The Britannia Site: Then and Now
Today, the area at the south end of Church Road, where the mills once dominated the skyline, has transitioned from heavy industry to a mixture of residential and commercial use. The massive 31,000-square-foot site that was once the heart of the "Gap" is now part of the modern fabric of Portslade-by-Sea.
The Wharf and Canal The reinforced concrete wharf where the last Thames sailing barges docked is still a functional part of the Shoreham Harbour canal. While the cargo has changed from corn and flour to modern industrial materials, the deep-water access remains a vital link to the town’s maritime heritage.
Residential Shift Much of the land surrounding the old mill site was redeveloped for housing in the mid-20th century. This shift replaced the industrial smoke and the roar of the steam rollers with quiet residential streets, reflecting the changing needs of our neighbours as the town grew.
Commercial Continuity While the Britannia Flour Mills were demolished in 1936, the spirit of local business continues nearby. Standing at the south end of Church Road today, the most striking difference is the loss of verticality. The 75-foot walls that once overlooked the harbour have been replaced by lower-profile buildings, opening up the view but losing that industrial "castle" that used to guard the entrance to the canal.
The discovery of the 1725 stone during demolition serves as a permanent reminder that even as the surface changes, the history of this milling site goes back much further than the Victorian buildings we see in old photographs.
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