Bridgewater Mill - Waterwheel |
The village of Bridgewater came into existence in 1840 when an inn was built at the fording point where bullock teams crossed Cock's Creek. It was originally known as Cock's Creek. This became corrupted to Cox's Creek and when, in 1859, John Dunn - a miller - built his beautiful mill across the creek (it was powered by the huge waterwheel which is still such a distinctive part of the village) near the coach road through the hills, he changed the name to Bridgewater.
No one knows the exact origin because there was a bridge across the water at the time. However it is more likely that John Dunn, who had emigrated from the village of Bridgewater in Somerset, simply decided to name the fording point after his old home.
Today the village is a pleasant retreat from the heat of Adelaide. It has a distinctly English feel to it with pleasant European gardens and plenty of deciduous trees along the creek.
