The Old Boathouse

The Old Boathouse was constructed in the 1830’s and served a dual function. Deep down, the structure was designed to control the flow of water from the lake into the old mill pond in Turkey Court, while the upper levels could be used as a boathouse.

The old mechanism was replaced in 2022 and can now be seen on display next to the boathouse.

The Boathouse by the lake

The River Len

The River Len flows through Mote Park from its source further east, then on into Maidstone to join with the River Medway near the Archbishops’ Palace. The river was dammed around 1800 to create the lake, but this wasn’t the first time it’s course had been altered. For centuries, the river had been diverted to create mill ponds and mill streams to serve the variety of mills that sprang up along its banks. These mills would have been used for fulling, grinding corn and papermaking. A fulling mill pressed and cleaned cloth using soap or fullers earth which was mined locally.

In the 1500s the Mote Park stretch of the Len was diverted to create various ponds. About half way along stood Mote Mill, while Poll or Pole Mill stood on a spot now beneath the western edge of the lake, opposite the boathouse. Some time during the 1700s the mill changed from fulling to papermaking.

The papermaker James Whatman acquired Poll Mill in 1789. He already owned the neighbouring Turkey Mill, whose mill pond was also sourced from the Len, and operated both mills together. Poll Mill was pulled down around 1838 and the land soon flooded to create the lake we see today.

Credit: ‘Mote Park’s Story’ by Simon Ginnaw and Robin Ambrose, 2018