Stretton Watermill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stretton Watermill
Stretton Watermill
Location	Stretton, Cheshire West and Chester
Built	16th century
Governing body	Cheshire West and Chester Council
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated	18 July 1972
Reference no.	1279423
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Stretton Watermill is an old mill that uses water power to grind grain. It's located in Stretton, Cheshire, England. This mill is still working today and is a special historic building. It's so important that its machinery is considered nationally significant! The local council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, takes care of it.

History of the Mill

The first time anyone wrote about Stretton Watermill was in 1351. This was when the mill changed owners. In the 1500s, the Leche family owned the mill. The oldest parts of the building you see today were built around 1630. Back then, it was made with a wooden frame, called timber-framed. It also had one breastshot wheel. This type of waterwheel is hit by water about halfway up its side. The stone floor inside the mill might even be older than 1630!

In 1770, William Leche made the mill bigger. He also raised the roof and changed it from a straw roof to one made of slate tiles. The timber frame was covered with wooden boards, called weatherboarding, and stone. An overshot wheel was added too. This wheel gets its power from water flowing over the top of it. A special stone on the building remembers this work.

Later, in 1852, the old wooden breastshot wheel was replaced. A new one, made of strong cast iron, was put in its place. The mill kept working until 1959. From 1975 to 1977, two people named Cyril and John Boucher fixed the mill's machinery. The Science Museum helped pay for some of this work. Since 1977, Stretton Watermill has been a museum, showing people how mills used to work.

What the Mill Looks Like

The mill building has a wooden frame inside. On the outside, it's covered with wooden boards and sandstone. There's also a brick part added on, and a chimney made of stone and brick. All the roofs are covered with slate tiles.

The mill has two main floors, plus an attic space. The attic was used for storing grain. The windows are all casement windows, which means they open outwards like a door. Some of them even have shutters.

You can see two working waterwheels at the mill. One is outside the building. It's a wooden overshot wheel that powers most of the mill's older, 18th-century wooden machines. The other wheel is inside. It's made of cast iron and is a breastshot wheel. This one powers the newer, Victorian-era machines, which are mostly made of cast iron.

To get to the top floor, where four large millstones are, you climb a steep staircase. The grain storage area, called the grain loft, is reached by a ladder. Outside the mill, there are stone steps leading up to the mill dam. This is a small lake that holds water for the mill. There's also a stone-lined channel, called a millrace, with a gate called a sluice to control the water flow.

Visiting the Mill Today

Today, Stretton Watermill is a fun place to visit! It's a museum, a picnic spot, and a visitor center. You can visit on certain days from April to September, usually between 1 PM and 5 PM. It's free to enter the site. However, if you want a special tour inside the mill, there's a small fee.

Besides the working mill, there's a shop and an exhibition area. These are in the old stables. You'll also find picnic tables outside and easy-to-use toilets. If you're part of a group, you can arrange a special tour in advance. The mill also has programs for schools to learn about history and how mills work. Good news for everyone: both floors of the mill can be reached by people using wheelchairs, thanks to a ramp outside!

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
• Listed buildings in Stretton, Cheshire West and Chester
• List of museums in Cheshire