The remains of a five storey corn mill built in 1787 by William Loader. The mill received Royal patronage between 1817 and the end of the 19th century supplying corn first to George IV and later Queen Victoria. The Royal Coat of Arms adorned the mill until 1941. At the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century the mill appears to have stopped working and remained deserted or may have been used as a storehouse until 1941. In 1941 the top four storeys of the mill were removed. Although the mill was in good condition it was feared that the wooden storeys, the ground floor was built of stone, were a fire hazard. In 1950 the surviving part of the mill was taken over by the Dartford branch of the Royal Airforce Association.

The mill, at times also known as Hard’s Mill, Keyes Mill and Royal Mill, was a large building with a free standing chimney at the south-east corner which may have been associated with a small steam engine to provide more power than the water wheel. The site the mill was built on had been in use since the 15th century.(1)

Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2001, Royal Victoria Mill Dartford Kent Historic Building Recording (Unpublished document). SKE12422.

Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2001, Royal Victoria Mill Dartford Kent Historic Building Recording (Unpublished document). Ske12422.