Although I have been to Winchester many times, I had never been to the old city mill. But what a beautiful place. Owned by the National Trust (and free to visit) the mill has a long past. It has been there since Saxon times, lived through the black death, and then with the loss of the Calais wool trade, the mill declined and in 1471 it was derelict.
In Tudor times the mill came under ownership of the crown, but after Winchester hosted the marriage of Queen Mary Tudor to Philip II of Spain, Mary gifted the mill back to the city. In 1743 the mill was owned by James Cooke who replaced timbers, exchanged thatch for tiles and added lead to the windows.
In 1795 JMW Turner drew a sketch of the mill.
1931-2005 the mill had a new role. It became a Youth Hostel and you can view the records and photos from that period in the mill. In 2004, after repairs, the first milling demonstration took place 90 years after it stopped.
Winchester is known to flood when excessive rain hits, and the mill was flooded during the winter of 2013/14. You can view a video on their website of flood water pouring through.
The mill still does milling demonstrations and sells bags of flour in the gift shop. Going downstairs to see the waterwheel is very exciting. Water rushes in from the River Itchen, and the noise is wonderful! The mill also has a lovely garden running alongside the river, as well as a cafe, where I stopped for lunch. There is lots of information about how the mill works, its history, as well as some hands-on things. There is also a video in the secondhand bookshop explaining the history of the mill. They also run courses there.
The mill is open from Wednesdays to Sundays 11.00am-4.00pm. Well worth a visit.
My London+ 