Simone Stanbrook-Byrne goes in search of some of Somerset’s historic mills, some of which existed at the time of the Domesday Book
A few years ago, we decided to take a local short break on Exmoor. We stayed in Dunster’s lovely old Mill House, where the River Avill runs picturesquely through its valley, and the adjacent, ancient watermill has its being: turning, turning as it has done for the last several centuries. It was an idyllic spot to wake up in every morning. On the last day we popped next door to buy a bag of flour, taking a tiny bit of edible ‘history’ home with us – each year at Dunster, they mill 10 tonnes of English-grown rye, spelt and wheat grains into a range of wholemeal flours.
It got me thinking about just how important milling has been to Somerset’s economy, community and heritage for hundreds of years – the county’s many waterways allowed historic communities to harness hydropower in order to produce food for local people and to drive local industry.
Dunster Mill
The very earliest mention of milling in Dunster was in the 11th-century Domesday Book, when two mills were recorded. By the 15th century others had appeared – part of the local cloth-making industry. In 1620, two of the mills on the site of the present one were connected and renamed Lower Mill, and by the end of the next century the mill had evolved into what exists today, sitting in the valley below the castle.
It was a busy place right up until the 20th century, when it began to decline, although during the lean years of the Second World War it did produce flour.
After the war it turned to producing animal feed, but in 1962 its fortunes declined again and the mill fell into disuse. Eventually it came into the custodianship of the National Trust.
Now, new life has been breathed into the old mill. It has two wheels, both of which are powered by water from the leat that is channelled into the mechanism of the wheels from above – this style of mill is known as a ‘double overshot’. This power drives the millstones.
Stephen Hayes is the mill operations manager. ‘The mill was fully restored by its first NT tenant in 1979,’ he tells me, ‘and was taken back in hand and managed by the NT when the mill’s last tenant retired in 2014. The restoration is always ongoing and earlier this year the mammoth task of replacing the upper waterwheel was undertaken.’ This project involved 2.5 tonnes of sustainably sourced oak and more than 500 hours of work. Dunster Mill is in good hands; its wheels will continue to turn for decades to come.
Bishop’s Lydeard Mill
Another well-restored example of an overshot waterwheel is in Bishop’s Lydeard, which survives thanks to the dedication of the Back Family. It was bought by Yvonne and the late Charlie Back, with the altruistic aim of preserving a nugget of history and then using it to raise money for local charities. Originally called Lower Mill, the waterwheel is housed in an 18th century building, though this site as a place of milling is much older. It was opened to the public in 2003; the mill now also serves as a rural life museum, beautifully showcasing the culture of past times. ‘We are surprised each year at how many want to visit us to see the wheel turning and view our museum,’ Yvonne Back tells me. ‘We have raised over £130,000 for charity, which is a lot of visitors!’
Wookey Hole Mill
Mills are also used in the production of paper, and the earliest-known paper mill in Somerset is at Wookey Hole. The first record of a paper mill here dates to the early 17th century – although milling activity has been taking place on this site for a thousand years, powered by water from the River Axe. Earlier incarnations would have been as a corn mill and fulling mill – the latter producing cloth. From 1610 until the 1920s, paper making was the main industry at the Wookey Hole Mill, which was once the most productive and profitable paper mill in Europe. The present mill building dates from the mid-19th century, having been rebuilt after a fire. Although paper production has now ceased, visitors today can explore the history and watch film of paper-making demonstrations.
Burcott Mill
Also in the village of Wookey is Burcott Mill, a fully working watermill that grinds highly regarded wholemeal flour, which is supplied to a small number of local wholefood shops as well being sold directly from the mill. This place too has a venerable, 1000-year-old history, although the existing mill was built in 1864 and most of the machinery dates from then, including its cast-iron, overshot waterwheel. Mill tours for groups are offered by arrangement, where the miller demonstrates the traditional methods of milling in use here. Burcott Mill also incorporates a guest house for anyone wishing to stay and explore the area.
Hornsbury Mill
Not far from Chard, Hornsbury Mill has another 19th-century, cast-iron waterwheel, this one powered by the waters of the River Isle.
With its historic toes dipped into medieval times, Hornsbury’s corn mill was first documented in 1327. During the 1830s, Hornsbury’s older buildings were reconstructed, still using local materials, with the present wheel being installed around 1870. The mill has now morphed into a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue – the charming modern face of a different kind of industry that permits the county’s heritage to survive in a reimagined way – but the Victorian machinery is still in situ, and the wheel continues to turn.
Stembridge Mill
But not all mills are powered by water and readers of a certain generation will remember Windy Miller of Camberwick Green, that evocatively rustic children’s TV programme of the 1960s that enjoyed airings right up until 2000. Like water, wind is a natural resource that sometimes powered industry of the past, long before the modern term ‘renewables’ was coined.
To me, ‘tower’ mills, like that one first encountered in childhood fiction, are probably the most picturesque of all. Many are still found in The Netherlands. To pause at the base of one and look up is a marvellous moment. Standing as a tribute to wind power, Stembridge Mill is one of these tower mills and the only mill in England to still have a thatched ‘cap’ – the cap could be turned into the wind by means of a chain and gear mechanism.
Built in 1822 over four floors, Stembridge incorporated elements of another mill that had stood nearby and it also contained a bakehouse. A low wall surrounds the 26ft-high tower, designed to keep people and animals away from the turning sails. Sadly, by the end of its first century the mill had to rely on a steam engine for power after it had been damaged by a storm.
Commercial use ended in 1908, when cheaper, imported grain, and dockside mills near the coast rendered Stembridge no longer viable.
Throughout its life, the mill passed between various owners and millers, until being bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969. New sails were added in 1971 and again in 2009, when it was also rethatched.
In 2018 another storm damaged its sails. Repairs have been carried out but, sadly, the mill is still currently closed for conservation reasons. It is a beautiful construction, and we can only hope that, before too long, it is reopened.
A proud heritage
Somerset’s historic mills are a testament to the engineering ingenuity of our forebears, who knew how to harness the power of wind and water in ways that continue to play an important part in 21st century life. Although many of our mills now have a different role to their original purpose, others have managed to retain their original raison d’être. All of them pay tribute to times past while looking towards the future.
They are an iconic part of Somerset’s past, so visit them if you can, admire them and support them. And where they’re still producing as they always have, buy something. My bag of flour from Dunster became a hearty, old-fashioned tea bread, made to an old family recipe, which somehow tasted even more delicious than usual, being spiced with a good dollop of heritage. .
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