In this romantic painting of the Thames, Serres paints a view of Battersea from Cheyne Walk in 1823. Across the river is the Mill, Bolingbrookhouse, the Distillery and the Oast House which are no longer in existence. A horizontal Air Mill was a type of tower mill that worked with wind from any direction. The wind drove turbine type sails which were directly attached to millstones beneath. Nearby is Battersea’s St. Mary’s Church completed in 1777, and one of the earliest known consecrated sites on the River Thames (the original church is thought to have been built by the Saxons in 800 AD). The church’s rich history includes the marriage of William Blake, the burial place of Benedict Arnold, and one of J.M.W. Turner’s favourite painting spots.