Daniels Mill, Shropshire facts for kids
Daniels Mill is a historic water mill located near Bridgnorth in Shropshire, England. It's still working today, grinding flour just like it used to. What makes it special is that it has the biggest cast iron waterwheel in England! This giant wheel is about 38 feet (11.5 meters) across.
The mill worked for many years, grinding different types of grain for animal feed, until 1957. After a lot of hard work to fix it up, the mill was opened again in 2008 for visitors to enjoy.
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The Mill's Story: How Old Is It?
Daniels Mill sits below the Oldbury Viaduct, which is part of the Severn Valley Railway. The first time anyone wrote about the mill was around the late 1400s. Back then, it was known by names like "Donynges" or "Dunnings" Mill. It was part of a big estate owned by the Ottley family.
The mill has changed a lot over hundreds of years. The first building probably looked very different from what you see today. It was likely a smaller, lower building with two floors. The first waterwheel was probably made of wood and much smaller than the iron one now. It might have even been in a different spot!
Growing Bigger: The Crowther Family
The first millers who lived at Daniels Mill were the Crowther family. They helped make the mill bigger and probably added proper living areas. This first big change might have happened around the early 1600s. At that time, more land was bought to build an upper water pool.
When this new pool was made, a smaller mill was built right under its dam. People called this tiny mill the "mill in the hole" or Clover Mill. Today, you can only see the back wall and the pit where its wheel used to be. The newest part of the main mill building, shaped like an "L", was added last. It gave the mill a kitchen, a bedroom, and an attic.
The Giant Iron Wheel
The huge iron waterwheel you see today was made in 1854 at a famous place called Coalbrookdale. It replaced an older wheel that was in the same spot. Records show that by 1843, a steam engine was also bought to help the mill work alongside the waterwheel.
For a long time, the mill house didn't get many modern updates. This continued until 1946, when the miller, Henry Thomason, finally put electricity in the house. But even with lights and power in his home, Mr. Thomason thought it would be too dangerous to add electricity to the mill itself. When he passed away in 1957, the mill stopped working for a while.
Bringing the Mill Back to Life: Restoration
In 1958, people started working to fix up Daniels Mill. It was a huge job! They had to repair damage from water to the wheel, rebuild walls around the wheel pit, and put in a new steel axle. They also replaced the big millstones and their wooden frames, along with floorboards and windows. Everyone working on it was careful to use old materials, often found from other buildings being taken down.
New Life and Funding
In 2007, the mill received a big grant of £67,500 from the GrantScape Community Heritage Fund. This money helped bring back the second way water could flow to the wheel. This meant rebuilding a large water pool and an underground pipe. They also had to rebuild the big water tank above the wheel, which had been removed in the 1960s because it was unsafe.
While these plans were being made, the mill was badly damaged by serious floods in the summer of 2007. More money was needed! A grant from the Shropshire Tourism Action Plan helped upgrade the site and make it easier for visitors to get around. Other groups like the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Midlands Mills Group also helped. People even donated money through a public appeal. All this help allowed the wheel and its workings to be fixed so that three sets of millstones could grind again. All these projects finished, and the mill officially reopened in July 2008.
During 2008, work also began to uncover the remains of the smaller "mill in the hole." During these digs, they found pieces of millstones, a large English millstone, and even signs of a waterwheel that was even older!
See also
- Listed buildings in Eardington
