The use of water power in Britain was at its peak just before the Industrial Revolution . The need for power was great and steam power had not yet become established. It is estimated that at this time there were well in excess of ten thousand watermills in the country. Most of these were corn mills (to grind flour ), but almost any industrial process needing motive power, beyond that available from the muscles of men or animals, used a water wheel , unless a windmill was preferred.
Today only a fraction of these mills survive. Many are used as private residences, or have been converted into offices or flats. A number have been preserved or restored as museums where the public can see the mill in operation.
Kingsbury Watermill Museum, St Albans This is a list of some of the surviving watermills and tide mills in the United Kingdom .
"The Lesson of the Water Mill"
Listen to the water mill Through the livelong day; How the clicking of the wheel Wears the hours away. Languidly the autumn wind Stirs the withered leaves; On the field the reapers sing Binding up the sheaves; And a proverb haunts my mind And as a spell is cast, "The mill will never grind With the water that has passed."
Sarah Doudney ,
"Puck's Song"Excerpt
See yon our little mill that clacks
so busy by the brook, She has ground her corn and paid her tax ever since Domesday Book.
Rudyard Kipling ,
England
Bedfordshire Stotfold Mill, Bedfordshire
Berkshire Chamberhouse Mill, Berkshire Abbey Mill , Reading Boxford Mill. Boxford [1] Calcot Mill , ReadingChamberhouse Mill, Thatcham Dun Mill, Hungerford [2] Denford Mill, Hungerford [2] Eddington Mill, Eddington [3] Hungerford Mill, Thatcham Sandford Mill, Reading Sindlesham Mill, Reading Twyford Mill, Twyford Watermill Theatre , Bagnor Weston Mill, Weston
Buckinghamshire Hambleden Mill, Buckinghamshire
Cambridgeshire Houghton Mill, Cambridgeshire Elton Mill, Elton Hauxton Mill , Hauxton Hinxton Mill, Hinxton Hook's Mill, Guilden Morden Houghton Mill , HoughtonLode Watermill, Lode Maxey Mill, Maxey Old Mill, Water Newton Topcliffe Mill, Meldreth Sacrewell Mill , Peterborough Soham Mill, Soham
Cheshire Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire Bollington Mill, Bollington Bunbury Mill , BunburyChurch Minshull Mill, Church Minshull Dee Mills - site of, Chester Dunham Massey Sawmill, Dunham Massey Hall Nantwich Mill , Nantwich Nether Alderley Mill , MacclesfieldQuarry Bank Mill , StyalStretton Watermill , StrettonTrafford Mill , Mickle Trafford, ChesterWalk Mill, Waverton, Cheshire[4] Built 2008
Cornwall Cotehele Mill, Cornwall Bar Pool Mill, Falmouth Boscastle Mill, Boscastle Carbeal Tide Mill, Torpoint Carthew Mill, Carthew Cotehele Mill, Calstock Dinham Tide Mill, St Minver Gerrans Sea Mill, Gerrans Heskyn Mill, Tideford Hingham Mill, near Wadebridge Kestle Mill, Kestle Little Petherick Creek tide mill, Little Petherick Melinsay Mill, Veryan Penpoll tidemill, Feock Perranarworthal Manor Mill, Perranarworthal Poltesco Higher Mill, Ruan Minor Poltesco Lower Mill, Ruan Minor Polvellan or Pool Tide Mill, Looe Poughill Mill, Bude Salter Tide Mill, Saltash Tregarus Mill St Stephen Tregidden Mill, Tregidden Tregoose Old Mill St Columb Major Trevillett Mill, Tintagel Treway Mill, Zennor Wheal Martyn , Carthew
Cumbria Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Cumbria Acorn Bank Mill , Penrith Beckside Mill, Kirkby-in-Furness Blennerhassett Mill, Aspatria Brampton Mill, Appleby Boot Watermill, Eskdale [5] Gleaston Water Mill , Ulverston [6] Heron Corn Mill , Milnthorpe [7] High Mill, Alston Little Salkeld Watermill , Penrith [8] Muncaster Mill, Ravenglass Old Fulling Mill, Ambleside Rutter Mill, Great Asby Sparket Mill, Hutton Stott Park Bobbin Mill , Ulverston Wythop Mill, Embleton
Derbyshire Stainsby Mill, Derbyshire
Devon Otterton mill, Devon Bicclescombe Mill, Ilfracombe Bicklegh Mill, Tiverton Clyston Mill, Broadclyst Coldharbour Mill , Cullompton Cricklepit Mill , Exeter Docton Mill , Hartland Finch Foundry , Okehampton Hele Mill, Hele Bay , Ilfracombe Manor Mill, Seaton Morwellham Quay , Gunnislake Otterton Mill , Budleigh Salterton Sidbury Mill, Sidbury Town Mills, Chudleigh Town Mill, Totnes
Dorset King's Mill, Dorset Boar Mill, Corfe Castle Cann Mill, Shaftesbury Castleton Water Wheel Museum, Sherborne Hembury Mill,[9] Askerswell King's Mill, Marnhull Loverley Mill, Moor Crichel Maiden Newton Mill, Maiden Newton Mangerton Mill, Bridport Melbury Abbas Mill Shaftesbury Pegg's Farm Mill, Iwerne Minster Place Mill, Christchurch Sturminster Newton Mill, Sturminster Newton Town Mill, Lyme Regis White Mill , Sturminster Marshall Upwey Mill, Weymouth
Durham Killhope Wheel, Durham
East Sussex Sheffield Mill, East Sussex
East Yorkshire Stamford Bridge Mill, East Yorkshire
Essex Bourne Mill, Essex Alderford Mill, Sible Hedingham Beeleigh Mill, Maldon Bourne Mill , Colchester Bran End (wheel and machinery removed in 1932), Stebbing , River Chelmer Easterford Mill, Kelvedon Elmbridge (ceased working 1933, converted to a house in 1940), Little Easton , River Chelmer Felsted (ceased working 1960, converted to a house), River ChelmerFyfield Mill, Fyfield Harlow Mill, Harlow Hartford End (ceased working 1929, converted to a house 1970s), River ChelmerHylands Mill Hylands Park , River Wid Little Hallingbury Mill, Little Hallingbury Little Parndon Mill, Little Parndon Roydon Mill, Roydon Roxwell Mill (ceased working 1926, converted into house c.1950), Roxwell , River Can Stebbing Town Mill, Stebbing , River Chelmer Thorrington Tide Mill , Thorrington Tilty (ceased working 1957, Domesday mill), Tilty Abbey , River Chelmer Writtle Mill (ceased working 1957, Domesday mill), Writtle , River Wid
Gloucestershire Egypt Mill, Gloucestershire Arlington Mill, Bibury Dean Heritage Centre , Cinderford Egypt Mill, Nailsworth Kilcott Mill, Hillesley Little Aston Mill, Upper Slaughter Old Mill, Lower Slaughter Owlpen Manor , Owlpen Stanway Watermill, Stanway, Cheltenham Syreford Mill, Andoversford
Greater London Clock Mill, Greater London
Hampshire Sadler's Mill, Hampshire Abbey Mill , Bishops Waltham Abbey Mill, Winchester Alderholt Mill, Fordingbridge Anstey Mill, Alton Ashlett Mill, Fawley Barton's Mill, Old Basing Beaulieu Tide Mill, Beaulieu Beaurepair Mill, Sherborne St John Botley Mill, Botley Bourne Mill, Farnham Bourne Place Mill, Farnham Chase Mill, Bishops Waltham Chesapeake Mill , Wickham, Hampshire College Mill, Winchester Durley Mill, Botley Eling Tide Mill , Eling Fulling Mill, Old Alresford Gaters Mill , West End Greatham Mill, Greatham Greywell Mill, Greywell Hartley Mill, Hartley Wespall Hatch Mill, Farnham Headley Water Mill , Headley High Mill, Farnham Hockley Mill, Twyford Isington Mill, Binstead Laverstoke Mill , Laverstoke Longbridge Mill , Sherfield on Loddon Lower Mill, Old Basing Lower Neatham Mill, Alton Monxton Mill, Monxton New Mill, Eversley Nether Wallop Mill Nether Wallop Old Mill, Selborne Paulton's Park Sawmill, Paultons Park Pilcot Mill Dogmersfield Quay Mill, Emsworth Rooksbury Mill , Andover St Cross Mill, Winchester Sadler's Mill , Romsey Shawford Mill, Shawford Town Mills, Andover Turk's Farm Mill, Bentley, Hampshire Upper Mill, Longparish Weir Mill, Old Alresford Wharf Mill, Winchester Whitchurch Silk Mill , Whitchurch Willey Mill, Farnham Winchester City Mill , Winchester Woodmill, Southampton
Hertfordshire Redbournbury Mill, Hertfordshire
Isle of Wight Yafford Mill, Isle of Wight
Kent Bradley's Mill, Kent Ashbourne Mill, Tenterden Bartley Mill, Frant Bradley's Mill, Speldhurst Chilham Mill, Chilham Christmas Mill, Edenbridge Crabble Corn Mill , Dover Chart Gunpowder Mills, Faversham Furnace Mill, Lamberhurst Hever Watermill, Hever (Medway) Hope Mill, Goudhurst Hythe Watermill, Hythe Periwinkle Mill, Milton Regis Swanton Mill, Mersham (Stour) Ryarsh Mill, Ryarsh (Medway) Wandle Mill, Benenden
Lancashire Higher Mill, Lancashire
Leicestershire Cotes Mill, Leicestershire
Lincolnshire Cogglesford Mill, Lincolnshire Alvingham Mill, Alvingham Atkin's Mill, Scopwick Baines Mill, Louth Baldock's Mill, Bourne Bridge Street Mill, Louth Church Mill, Market Rasen Claypole Mill, Claypole Claythorpe Mill, Aby Cogglesford Mill , Sleaford Crown Mill, Louth Hibaldstow Wind and Water Mill, Hibaldstow Holdingham Mill, Holdingham Hubbards Hill Mill, Louth Hudd's Mill, Stamford James Street Mill, Louth Ketsby Mill, South Ormsby King's Mill, Stamford Londonthorpe Mill, Manthorpe Manor Mill, Kirkby Green Molecey's Mill West Deeping Spittlegate Mill, Grantham Stevenson's Mill, Horncastle Stockwith Mill, Hagworthingham Tealby Thorpe Mill, Tealby Tetford Mill, Tetford Thoresway Waterwheel, Thoresway Tyson's Mill, Tealby Westgate Mill, Louth Whitton's Mill, Gainsborough Young's Mill, Kirkby Green
Norfolk Caley Mill aka Heacham Mill, Norfolk
Northamptonshire HardwaterMill, Northamptonshire
North Yorkshire Gayle Mill, North Yorkshire Darley Mill Centre , Nidderdale Esk Mill, Danby Fountains Abbey Mill, Ripon Gayle Mill , Hawes , Wensleydale [10] Howsham Mill , Malton Low Mill, Bainbridge Pateley Bridge Watermill, Nidderdale Raindale Mill , YorkTocketts Mill, Guisborough The Mill, West Burton
Northumberland Ridley Mill, Northumberland
Nottinghamshire Warsop, Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire Mapledurham Watermill, Oxfordshire Ascott Mill, Ascott-under-Wychwood Bliss Tweed Mill , Chipping Norton Charney Mill, Charney Bassett Church Mill, Standlake Combe Mill , Long Hanborough Goring Mill, Goring-on-Thames Little Clanfield Mill, Clanfield Lower Kingstone Mill, Ashbury Mapledurham Watermill , Mapledurham The Mill at Sonning , Sonning Eye Standhampton Mill, Stadhampton Venn Mill, Garford Wroxton Mill, Wroxton
Shropshire Daniel's Mill, Shropshire
Somerset Wookey Hole Paper Mill, Somerset Bishop's Lydeard Mill , Bishops Lydeard Burcott Mill , Burcot Clapton Mill , Ston Easton Claverton Pumping Station , Claverton Combe House Hotel (originally a tannery) Holford Combe Sydenham Mill, Combe Sydenham Dunster Working Watermill , Dunster Gants Mill , Pitcombe Hestercombe Mill , West Monkton Higher Mill, Croscombe Hinton Farm Mill, Mudford Hornsbury Mill, Chard Orchard Mill, Williton Piles Mill, Allerford Priston Mill, Priston Rode Mill, Rode Saltford Brass Mill , Saltford Stratford Mill, Henbury Tonedale Mills , Wellington Williton Mill, Williton Wookey Hole Paper Mill , Wells
South Yorkshire Worsbrough Mill, South Yorkshire
Staffordshire Brindley Mill, Staffordshire Boar Mill, Moddershall Brindley Water Mill , LeekCheddleton Flint Mill , Cheddleton Coppice Mill, Stone Flint Mill, Stone Hayes Mill, Oulton Ivy Mill, Oulton Little Aston Mill, Little Aston Mosty Lea Mill, Moddershall Offley Mill, Staffordshire Shugborough Estate Mill, Shugborough Hall , Stafford Splashy Mill, Lower Moddershall Weaver's Mill, Stone Worston Mill, Great Bridgeford
Suffolk Flatford Mill, Suffolk
Surrey Shalford Mill, Surrey Abbey Mill, Eashing Albury Mill, Albury Botting's Mill, Postford Cobham Mill , Cobham Cosford Mill, Thursley Coxes Lock Mill, Addlestone Eashing Mill, Eashing Elstead Mill, Elstead Enton Mill, Witley Gresham Mill, Old Woking Gomshall Mill, Gomshall Hatch Mill, Godalming Haxted Watermill , near Edenbridge Heath Mill, Worplesdon Netley Mill, Shere Ockford Mill, Godalming Ockham Mill, Ockham Old Castle Mill, Pixham Paddington Mill, Abinger Pirbright Mill, Pirbright Pippbrook Mill, Dorking Pixham Mill , Dorking Rickford's Mill, Worplesdon Shalford Mill , Guildford Sickle Mill, Haslemere Snowdenham Mill, Bramley Stanford Mill, Haslemere Stoke Mill, Guildford Town Mill , Guildford Unwin's Mill, Old Woking Upper Mill, Ewell Wonersh Mill, Wonersh
Tyne and Wear Path Head Water Mill, Tyne and Wear
Warwickshire Wellesbourne Water Mill, Warwickshire
West Midlands Sarehole Mill, West Midlands
West Sussex Westhampnett Mill, West Sussex
West Yorkshire Armley Mills, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Wiltshire Blackland Mill, Wiltshire
Worcestershire Forge Mill, Worcestershire
Scotland
Aberdeenshire Mill of Benholm, Aberdeenshire
Angus Barry Mill, Angus
Dumfries and Galloway Bobbin Mill on the Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway
East Ayrshire Aiket Mill, East Ayrshire Aiket Mill , Dunlop Bloak Mill , Dunlop Busbie Mill , Knockentiber Dalmore Mill , Stair Dalmusternock Mill Drumastle Mill, Dalry Giffen Mill, Barrmill Kilmaurs Mill , Kilmaurs Ladeside Mill , Mauchline Laigh Milton Mill , Gatehead Lainshaw Mill , Stewarton Lambroch Mill , Stewarton Old or Commoncraigs Mill, Dunlop
East Lothian Preston Mill, East Lothian
East Renfrewshire
Highlands Click Mill, Kingussie
Lanarkshire New Lanark mill buildings Carmichael Mill, Hyndford Bridge New Lanark Mill, New Lanark
Moray
North Ayrshire Dalgarven Mill, North Ayrshire Giffen Mill, North Ayrshire Bark Mill , Beith Broadstone Mill , Barrmill Cavan Mill , Auchentiber Coldstream Mill , Beith Craigmill , Dalry Cranshaw Mill , Kilmaurs Crevoch Mill , Dunlop Cunninghamhead Mill , Cunninghamhead Dalgarven Mill , Kilwinning Drumastle Mill , Dalry Drumbuie Mill , Barrmill East Kersland Mill , Dalry Giffen Mill , Barrmill Giffordland Mill , Dalry Kersland Mill , Beith Mill o'Beith , Beith Nethermill , Kilbirnie Perceton Mill , Irvine Sevenacres Mill, Kilwinning Stevenston Corn Mill
Orkney Dounby Click Mill, Orkney Ayre Mill, Kirkwall Barony Mill, Birsay Boloquoy Mill, Sanday Cairston Mill, Stromness Dounby Click Mill , Dounby East Denwick Mill, Deerness Elwick Mill, Shapinsay Eyrland Mill, Stenness Firth Mill, Firth Grimness Mill, South Ronaldsay Kirbuster Mill, Orphir Peckhole Mill, North Ronaldsay Rango Mill, Sandwick Red House Mill, Eday Russland Mill, Harray Tankerness Mill, Tankerness Tormiston Mill , Stenness Trenabie Mill, Westray Sebay Mill, Toab Sourin Mill, Rousay Woodwick Mill, Evie
Perthshire Stanley Mills, Perthshire
Renfrewshire Meikle Millbank Mill, Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders Robert Small's Printing Works, Innerleithen
Shetland Quendale mill, Shetland
South Ayrshire Millmannoch Mill in the 18th century, South Ayrshire
Western Isles
West Lothian
Northern Ireland
County Antrim Pattersons Spade Mill, County Antrim
County Down Coalisland Mill, County Down
County Fermanagh
County Tyrone Ballynasaggart, County Tyrone
Wales
Clwyd Rossett Mill, Clwyd Bersham Ironworks , Bersham Corn Mill, Llangollen Felin Isaf, Glan Conwy Gresford Mill, Gresford King's Mill, Wrexham Marford Mill, Rossett Minera Lead Mine, Coedpoeth Nant Mill , Coedpoeth Penmachno Woollen Mill, Penmachno Pentrifoelas Mill, Pentrefoelas Rossett Mill, Rossett Trefriw Woollen Mill, Trefriw
Dyfed Y Felin, St Dogmaels, Dyfed Blackpool Mill, Martletwy Cambrian Mill , Dre-fach Felindre Carew Tidal Mill , Carew Cenarth Mill, Cenarth Denant Mill, Dreenhill Dre-fach Felindre Dyfi Furnace , Furnace Felin Ganol, Llanrhystud Felin Geri, Cwm Cou Felin Hesgwm, Dinas Cross Felin Newydd, Crugybar Felin yr Aber Llanwnnen Llywernog Mine , Llywernog Middle Mill, Solva Nant y Coy Mill, Wolf's Castle Rock Mill , Llandysul Tide Mill , Carew Tide Mill, Pembroke Tregwynt Woollen Mill , Castlemorris Y Felin, St. Dogmaels
Gwent Gelligroes Mill, Gwent
Gwynedd Melin Hywel, Gwynedd
Mid Glamorgan
Powys Penegoes Water Mill, Powys
South Glamorgan Esgair Moel, South Glamorgan
West Glamorgan Aberdulais Tin Works, West Glamorgan
See also
References ^ "Boxford Mill". Mills Archive . Retrieved 23 April 2024 . ^ a b "Watermills and Windmills". Hungerford Virtual Museum . Retrieved 21 May 2020 . ^ "Eddington Mill". Hungerford Virtual Museum . Retrieved 21 May 2020 . ^ Walk Mill Official Website ^ Boot Mill Official Website ^ Gleaston Watermill Official Website ^ Heron Corn Mill Official Website ^ Little Salkeld Watermill Official Website ^ "Hembury Mill Cottages". Bridport Holiday Cottages . Retrieved 28 January 2018 . ^ Gayle Mill official website ^ Daniels Mill Official Website ^ Arrow Millofficial website ^ Charlecote Mill official website ^ New Hall Mill official website ^ Sarehole MillOfficial Website Archived 2010-04-03 at the Wayback Machine ^ Canmore Scottish national database record ^ Preston Mill Official Website ^ Talgarth Mill Official Website
Bibliography Martin Watts: Watermills , Shire Publications Ltd, UK, 2006 Jim Woodward-Nutt & Jenny West: Mills Open , Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, UK, 1997 Neil Wright (Ed), Lincolnshire's Industrial Heritage , Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, UK 2004, ISBN 0 903582 20 1
External links A catalogue tide mills by county Video footage of Mennock Mill in Nithsdale UK Mills Mills Archive