Cogglesford Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cogglesford Mill |
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Cogglesford Mill, 2005
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| Type | Watermill |
| Location | Sleaford |
| OS grid reference | TF 07459 46128 |
| Area | Lincolnshire |
| Built | Mid 18th century |
| Owner | North Kesteven District Council |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Coggesford Mill, mill race and bridge | |
| Designated | 20 July 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1062115 |
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Cogglesford Mill is a really old and still working watermill in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It's so important that it's a Grade II listed building. This means it's a special historic place that needs to be protected.
It might even be the very last working "Sheriff's Mill" in England. A Sheriff's Mill was a mill that belonged to the local government or an important official long ago.
Contents
Where is Cogglesford Mill Located?
Cogglesford Mill is found just north of Sleaford. It sits right on the banks of the River Slea. The mill gets its name from a "ford" that used to be nearby. A ford is a shallow place in a river where people and animals could cross.
This old crossing point was part of a Roman road called Mareham Lane. The original crossing isn't there anymore. It was a bit further downstream from where the mill stands today.
The History of Cogglesford Mill
People have used this spot for milling for a very long time. We know there was a Saxon mill here, even before the Norman Conquest. Records from the Domesday Book also mention mills on this site. The Domesday Book was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror in 1086.
The red brick building you see today was built in the mid to late 1700s. Some changes were made to it in the 1800s. Many other mills used to be along the River Slea too.
How the River Changed for Boats
In the 1790s, the Sleaford Navigation was built. This was a system of locks and canals to help boats travel along the river. Locks are like water elevators that raise or lower boats between different water levels.
Locks were added at each mill, including Cogglesford, to keep the water at the right level for the mills to work. After the navigation closed, the locks slowly broke down. They were then replaced with "weirs." A weir is a small dam built across a river to control the water flow.
The weir at Cogglesford is quite special. It helps keep the water level just right for the mill to keep working today.
Cogglesford Mill Today
Cogglesford Mill, along with its mill race (the channel that directs water to the mill wheel) and a nearby bridge, became a listed building on July 20, 1973.
Today, the mill is open for everyone to visit. During the summer, you can visit seven days a week. They still grind stoneground flour there, and you can even buy it in the mill's shop! It's a great way to see history in action.
Gallery
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The Mill pond
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General view of the mill from upstream, with the small millpool formed by the river above the sluice.
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View of the entrance to the enclosed race, with the overflow weir alongside.
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Remains of the lock constructed for the Navigation of the river.
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The mill in November 2010
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A view of the great spur wheel and stones.
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The Pit wheel and wallower
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The Sack hoist
