The Hunts Grinding and Crushing Mill

Hunts of Earls Colne and Bentalls of Heybridge were the largest and most famous Essex manufacturers of agricultural machinery. Hunts was founded in the 1820s by Robert Hunt, a millwright originally from Soham in Cambridgeshire. Under the leadership of his youngest son, Reuben, the business grew rapidly, and won a silver medal at the 1851 Great Exhibition.

Further expansion came with the acquisition of the food preparing machinery business of Ransomes, Sims and Head in 1870. In the 1880s, it developed a specialisation in the manufacture of power transmission appliances, making pulleys, couplings and shafting. These two activities, barn and grinding machinery, and power transmission, formed the core of the company's business, which included an extensive international trade. Its Atlas Works at Earls Colne covered 10 acres and employed over 300 people.

The company closed in the 1980s and the Atlas works is now being redeveloped for housing. The enduring legacy of Hunts today is its impact on Earls Colne, which in some ways became a works village, with 150 houses being built for its employees. As old farmyards are cleared out and the buildings adapted to new uses, so the traditional machinery which has not been used for decades is finally thrown away and becomes increasingly rare.

With the help of a grant from the Essex Heritage Trust, and assistance from the Museum of Power at Langford, one of Hunts largest products, a Premier No. 6 Crushing and Grinding Mill for animal feed, has been restored by Alex Walford, formerly with Paxman's of Colchester, and Peter Ratcliffe of Ashes Farm, Cressing.

This type of mill dates from 1922 although this example was manufactured in the early 1940's. The last one was offered for sale in 1954. With a 20hp motor, it had a capacity of 20-30 bushels per hour grinding, and 35-50 bushels crushing.

Rusty, and its casing cracked by frost damage, it had to be completely stripped down and replacement parts fabricated The hoppers were made by the last tinsmith active in Colchester. Resplendent with its paintwork restored to the original colour scheme, it is now in full working order and can be operated by an electric motor. It is put on display in the Wheat Barn with the grain processing exhibits at Cressing Temple, but it is hoped that one day it may be able to return to its rightful home at Earls Colne.