TREASURE DESCRIPTION: Two 18th Century snuff mills sitting on either bank of the River Wandle in Morden Hall Park.
The taking of snuff (ground tobacco which is often perfumed with spices or floral flavours) through the nose was very fashionable in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The tobacco was ground at these mills from around 1750 through to 1922, although by then snuff taking was much less popular. At one stage it is a said that about 6000lbs of snuff was being produced per month and carted to London. The mills are evidence of the rich industrial heritage on the Wandle which it is said once supported some 90 mills along its banks, supporting varied enterprises and employment to local people.
These treasures were made as part of The Building Exploratory, Wandle Treasures project. This project was part of the wider Living Wandle Landscape Partnership Scheme, funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
