Winchester City Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winchester City Mill |
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Downstream front of the mill
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| Type | Watermill |
| Location | Water Lane, Winchester |
| OS grid reference | SU 48615 29316 |
| Area | Hampshire |
| Built | 1744 |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: 1, Water Lane | |
| Designated | 24 March 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1095347 |
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The Winchester City Mill is a cool old water mill located right in the middle of the historic English city of Winchester. It sits on the River Itchen. This special building is owned by the National Trust, a charity that protects important places. It's also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historical site.
Contents
The Mill's Long History
Early Days of the Mill
This mill has been around for a very long time! It was first written about in the Domesday Book of 1086. This book was a huge survey ordered by William the Conqueror to record everything in England. The mill was already grinding corn back then.
Even before that, records from Winchester Cathedral mention the mill in 932. In 989, Queen Ælfthryth (wife of Edgar) gave the mill to the nuns of Wherwell Abbey. Scientists have even studied the wood used in the mill. They found that some timbers are from the 11th century!
Renaming and Rebuilding
The mill was first called Eastgate Mill. This was because it was just outside the east gate of Winchester city. But in 1554, its name changed to City Mill. This happened when Queen Mary I gave it to the city. She did this after her wedding to Philip II of Spain at Winchester Cathedral.
The mill was rebuilt in 1744 by a man named James Cook, who was a tanner (someone who works with animal hides). An artist named J. M. W. Turner drew a picture of the mill in 1795. If you look at that sketch, you can see that the building and the water channels look pretty much the same today!
Challenges and New Life
In 1820, the city sold the mill to John Benham. His family owned it for many years, until the early 1900s. By the late 1890s, the City Mill was having money problems. Other mills nearby, like Durngate and Wharf Hill, were taking its business. So, by 1910, the mill stopped working.
During World War I, the mill was used as a laundry. After that, it became old and broken down. In 1928, there was a risk that the building would be torn down. But a group of kind people bought the mill and gave it to the National Trust. This saved it from being destroyed!
In 1931, the mill was rented out to the Youth Hostels Association. They used it as a place for young travelers to stay, like a hotel for hikers. It stayed a hostel until 2005.
Mill Restoration and Today
In 2004, a big project to fix up the mill was finished. It took 12 years to complete! After not working for at least 90 years, the mill started grinding flour again using water power.
Today, the water wheel runs every day of the year. On weekends, you can even watch demonstrations of how flour is milled. The mill building also has a National Trust café where you can get a snack and a shop to buy souvenirs.
Otter Watch
The Winchester City Mill is also a great place to see wildlife! The National Trust works with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency. They have set up special night-vision cameras. These cameras watch the river as it flows under the mill.
The cameras record images of otters swimming by. You can watch these recordings on a monitor inside the mill, in the stone floor area. It's a cool way to see these shy animals!
More Information
- National Trust web pages about Winchester City Mill.
- Map sources for Winchester City Mill.
