Mapledurham Watermill Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mapledurham Watermill

Location	Mapledurham, Oxfordshire, England
Built	15th to 19th century
Governing body	Mapledurham Estate

Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: The Mill
Designated	24 October 1951
Reference no.	1059523

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The Mapledurham Watermill is a very old and special watermill located in Mapledurham, a village in Oxfordshire, England. It gets its power from the River Thames, specifically from the water held back by the Mapledurham Lock and Weir.

This amazing mill was first built way back in the 1400s! Over the years, it was made bigger in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. Today, it's a "Grade II* listed building", which means it's a very important historic place that needs to be protected. The best part is, it still works!

The mill also has a clever system that makes electricity. It uses a special 3.6-metre (12 ft) Archimedes' screw turbine. This turbine creates about 83.3 Kilowatts of power. That's enough electricity to light up about 140 homes! This power is even sold to the main electricity network in Britain.

A Journey Through Time: The Mill's History
Visiting Mapledurham Watermill
- Current Access Information
- How to See the Mill (When Open)
Gallery
See also

A Journey Through Time: The Mill's History

Early Beginnings of the Mill

There was already a mill at Mapledurham a very long time ago. We know this because it was mentioned in the Domesday Book. This book was a huge survey of England made in 1086. The middle part of the mill you see today was built in the 1400s. Back then, it only had one water wheel on the side facing the river.

Growing Bigger and Busier

In the 1670s, the mill became much larger. Workers built a special channel called a leat. This channel helped to power a second water wheel on the village side. Guess what? This second wheel is still working today!

In 1690, a man named James Web rented the mill for £60 a year. Around 1700, he made the mill even bigger. This allowed him to make a finer type of flour that people wanted more and more. His son, Daniel Webb, took over in 1726. The rent had gone up to £100 by then!

Supplying London with Flour

Later, in 1747, Thomas Atrum started running the mill. The rent kept going up, reaching £205 in 1776. In 1777, a barn was added to the mill's island. A wharf was also built. This allowed the mill to send its flour to London using barges on the river. Sadly, by 1784, Thomas Atrum had money problems.

The mill kept doing well for many years. Even in 1823, there were plans to rebuild it in a grand style. However, cheap flour started coming in from North America. This made things harder for the mill. Still, it kept working until just after the Second World War.

Becoming a Protected Landmark

On October 24, 1951, the Mapledurham Watermill was officially named a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic site. It was fixed up and started working again in 1980.

Generating Green Energy

In 2011, exciting new work began at the mill. They started putting in a new Archimedes' screw turbine on the river side. This turbine was built to make electricity for Mapledurham House. It replaced an older turbine from the 1920s that no longer worked. When the new turbine started in 2012, it was the most powerful one on the River Thames. It was also the biggest of its kind in the whole country!

Visiting Mapledurham Watermill

Current Access Information

PLEASE NOTE: As of December 2023, the mill is currently closed to the general public. It is only open for special events like weddings and for group tours that are booked in advance.

How to See the Mill (When Open)

The mill is part of the Mapledurham House estate. When it used to be open to visitors, it was usually on weekend and bank holiday afternoons. This was from April to September. On these days, the water mill would normally be working. Visitors could go inside and see how it worked. You could even feel the mill's power!

There was a charge to get in. You could buy tickets that let you visit both the house and the mill. You could get to Mapledurham by car. But be aware, the road to the village is narrow and steep! Another way to visit was by a boat service. This boat ran from Thameside Promenade in Reading on all opening days.