Abbey Mill (River Kennet) facts for kids
The three remaining arches
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 Location in Reading Central
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| Alternative names | Abbey Mills |
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| Location | Reading, Berkshire |
| Coordinates | 51°27′19″N 0°58′00″W / 51.4554°N 0.9668°W |
Abbey Mill, also known as Abbey Mills, is an old watermill that is now in ruins. It sits on the Holy Brook, which is a special water channel connected to the River Kennet in Berkshire, England. This historic site is protected as a Grade II listed building.
What is Abbey Mill?
Abbey Mill was once a busy watermill. A watermill uses the power of flowing water to turn a wheel, which then grinds grain into flour. This mill was very important for making food.
Its Connection to Reading Abbey
The mill originally belonged to Reading Abbey. This was a powerful monastery in the Middle Ages. The monks of Reading Abbey are thought to have created the Holy Brook. They built this channel to supply water to Abbey Mill and other mills they owned.
The mill is located just south of the main Abbey ruins. You can find it right in the middle of Reading town.
What Remains Today?
The mill was built right over the Holy Brook. This brook also marked the southern edge of the Abbey's land. Abbey Mill continued to grind corn for hundreds of years, all the way up to the 1950s.
Today, most of the mill is gone. What's left is a part of a wall with three arches. The wall is made from flint stones, with smooth caen stone blocks around the edges and brick filling. The two arches on the sides are rounded. The middle arch, which goes over the Holy Brook, is larger and pointed.
