| Summary : A water powered corn mill to Fountains Abbey, also known as Abbey Mill. The water mill was built during the 1130s or 1140s and had a single wheel at the southern end. In the 1150s a new mill was built which was set on a dam and had an undershot wheel at the southern end and a breastshot wheel at the north end. During the early 13th century a granary was added as an upper storey. The current waterwheel was installed in the 1840s to drive a saw mill, and in 1928 the mill was used as an electricity generating station, the turbine is still in situ. The mill ceased to be used in 1937. A restoration programme of 1993 included the conservation of the building, the 1840s wheel, the turbine and mill pond. The building is now in use as a museum and exhibition hall. |
More information : (SE 2726 6820) Abbey Mills (NR) (1)
(SE 2726 6820) Fountains Mill (NR) (2)
Abbey Mill, a watermill, now stores and workshops. Mid-12th century, remodelled late 12th and early 13th century and altered post-1539 and 19th century. The mill continued in use until the early 20th century. Grade 1. (3)
The mill (or mills, for there were two waterwheels and two cornmills under one roof) remained in use from the twelfth to the early part of the twentieth century. (4)
The mill is the finest surviving example of a monastic cornmill in
England. It has been the subject of detailed survey since 1984;
described and illustrated. (5)
SE 2746 6820. Fountains Cistercian Abbey; mill.
The corn mill dating mostly to to the early 13th century, with
elements of earlier buildings incorporated within it, was in use as a working mill until 1937, powered by a leat fed from the River Skell.
Scheduled (RSM) No 26930. (6)
Fountains Mill (National Trust number 30160) The corn mill was built during the 1130s or 1140s and had a single wheel at the southern end. In the 1150s a new mill was built which was set on a dam and had an undershot wheel at the southern end and a breastshot wheel at the north end. During the early 13th century a granary was added as an upper storey to the building. In the 1840s the current waterwheel was installed to drive a saw mill. The mill was used as an electricity generating station in 1928, the turbine is still in situ. The mill ceased to be used in 1937. A restoration programme of 1993 included the conservation of the building, the 1840s wheel, the turbine and mill pond. The building is now in use as a museum and exhibition hall. (5, 7-8) |