Nether Alderley Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nether Alderley Mill |
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Nether Alderley Mill
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| Location | Nether Alderley, Cheshire, England |
| OS grid reference | SJ 843 763 |
| Built | 16th century |
| Restored | 1967–70 |
| Restored by | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 25 May 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1139592 |
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Nether Alderley Mill is an old watermill from the 1500s. It is located near the village of Nether Alderley in Cheshire, England. The National Trust owns this special mill. It is considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* listed building.
This mill is unique because it has a triple system of overshot waterwheels. Two of these waterwheels still work today. It is also one of only four almost complete corn mills left in Cheshire.
Contents
History of Nether Alderley Mill
Early Beginnings and Changes
The first time anyone wrote about the mill was in 1391. This means it has been around for a very long time! The mill from the 1300s was replaced between 1595 and 1597. Around this time, the manor mill became owned by the Stanley family. Some of the stone parts from this late 1500s mill can still be seen in the basement today.
Growing Bigger and Stronger
In the middle of the 1700s, the mill was made much larger. It was given its current size and layout. To make the mill more powerful, a new mill pond was built. New tunnels were also added, and the date 1746 is carved inside them. It seems that many of the old stones and wooden beams from the 1500s mill were used again in this new construction.
Improvements to the mill kept happening in the 1800s. A new upper waterwheel and a cast iron system were added early in the century. Later, in the 1840s, a new lower waterwheel and exit tunnels for the water were installed. More mechanical updates came in the 1870s. This included a new cast-iron hurst frame and gears to connect it to the upper waterwheel.
Modern Power and Restoration
From the 1880s until 1914, a portable 10 hp steam engine could help run the mill. The mill stopped working around 1939. After that, the building became old and neglected.
The National Trust took ownership of the mill in 1950. They worked hard to bring the mill back to life. The Trust restored the mill so it could work again between 1967 and 1970.
Mill Design and Working Parts
Building Materials and Roof
The mill is built from buff-pink ashlar sandstone. It has a long, sloping cat-slide roof made of Kerridge stone-slate. The building has a rectangular shape. The roof is very heavy, weighing about 200 tons! It is held up by a strong oak frame from the Elizabethan era.
Water Supply and Wheels
The back wall of the mill also acts as a dam for the lake that supplies water to the mill. This wall also works like a moat for Alderley Old Hall. The water from the lake powers two overshot wheels. One wheel is about 12 feet (3.7 meters) across, and the other is about 13 feet (4 meters) across.
Each waterwheel works on its own. This means the mill is like two separate mills in one building, each with its own machinery. The water flows from the upper wheel down to the lower one, making both work.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Nether Alderley
