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An interesting water powered mill which had its first public viewing during Heritage Open Days in 2017 after some conservation work to building and machinery.

The mill was built around 1818 as a flax mill, although there are records of a mill on the site in the 16th century.

After a short period as a flax mill, it became a bobbin mill and finally around 1850 a corn mill. It suffered a typical mill fire in 1878 which gutted the interior, but the business was apparently insured and the mill was rebuilt in 1880. It ceased to operate in the 1930s, since when the building has been largely undisturbed, other than some decay to the timberwork.

The mill was powered by a large backshot waterwheel which occupies the westernmost bay of the building. A similar, external, wheel can still be seen at the nearby Foster Beck Mill Link . This was apparently rated at 35 horse power, and on that basis I would estimate the Wath wheel at 20-25 horse power.

The wheel had a geared outer rim which engaged with a shaft at ground level which drove four pairs of stones by means of bevel gears, as well as a variety of ancillary machines. At some stage a roller mill was installed which is one of the few surviving bits of macinery.

The four sets of stones can be disengaged from the main drive by sliding bevel gears on their drive shafts. The tentering arrangements for the stones – enabling the gap between stones to be varied depending on the type of grain and wear of the stones – are still complete, and work by means of a manually operated screw adjustment.

The mill includes a drying room on the north side, apparently originally intended for drying flax, but it does appear to have been used as a grain store from which grain could be fed by chutes into the stones.

Conservation work has included new timbering of parts of the roof, and of the floor suppoprting the stones which was in imminent danger of collapse.