Eling Tide Mill

The only working Tide Mill in the world regularly producing wholemeal flour as it did centuries ago.

Eling Tide Mill, situated on an artificial causeway in Eling in Hampshire, England, is the sole remaining operating tide mill in the UK. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, although the current dam was rebuilt roughly 200 years ago after storm damage. The mill has a pair of independent waterwheels designed to drive a millstone each. One wheel runs, the other is kept as a static exhibit. The running wheel and its milling and other mechanisms are encased for safety of miller and visitors, the static wheel is immobile and kept that way to show visitors the detail that is obscured by the running mechanism's safety enclosures. The mill can be productive for between five and seven hours each day.

For much of the mill's life it has been owned by Winchester College. A lease survives from the year 1418, when the College leased the mill to Thomas Mydlington, requiring him to maintain the mill and the causeway. The causeway was prone to collapse right up until 1940 when modern engineering calculations revealed the cause to be the design of the sluices. This was then corrected. The mill was out of action between 1946 and 1980 when it reopened.

I loved filming there - it's well worth a visit if you happen to be in Hampshire.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Tide Mill
• Flour
• Domesday Book howto

[Ansuzie]

OMG is that David? I used to be able to run around the mill for free when I was little because my nan, mum and sister all worked there at some point. I've applied myself but they said there were no vacancies.

I remember looking out for all the letters you had to collect, and standing on the glass over the water wheel. Great memories.