THE River Thames at Iffley has been a favourite spot for hundreds of artists over the years.

But for the last century, one feature of this idyllic scene has been missing – Iffley Mill.

It burned down on May 20, 1908 and was never rebuilt. It had resisted storm and flood for 800 years, but there was no reprieve from the fire.

At that time, the owners, Lincoln College, had rented the mill to Joe Wilson, the village schoolmaster and lay clerk of St John’s College. He lived in the house and sub-let the working mill.

That day, Mr Wilson and the miller had closed the mill at midday and travelled by train to Abingdon Agricultural Show.

Returning just after 6pm, the two admired the ancient mill from the train. An hour later, walking through the streets of Oxford, there was talk of “Iffley Mill on fire”.

Neither man could believe it – they had seen no sign of trouble from the train. However, they hurried back to Iffley and found the story was true.

The alarm had been raised by a man passing over the toll bridge near the mill.

But it was too late. Within minutes, flames had broken through the roof and the whole building was on fire.

The fire brigade arrived, but could do nothing except save some furniture from the house. Mrs Wilson, who was disabled, had been rescued by those first on the scene.

In its early days, the mill passed through many hands – and one bonus was that the right to catch eels in the mill stream went automatically with the tenancy.

Thames eels were such a delicacy that the miller often managed to pay his rent from the proceeds of the catches.

The privilege continued until about 1780 when the Thames Conservancy took over responsibility for the mill stream.

Hopes that the mill might be rebuilt after the fire were dashed when it became clear that the insurance had lapsed through a misunderstanding when Mr Wilson had sub-let the premises.

Now the only reminders of the mill are two millstones, a plaque on a wall and the hundreds of pictures painted by artists over the years.