Volunteers give mill a makeover

Exeter’s only working mill has been undergoing a recent renovation. A team of volunteer millers have used traditional techniques to make the waterwheel run more efficiently.

Cricklepit Mill stands close to Exeter’s historic Quayside and dates back to the 19th Century with some parts of the building dating from the 1600s. It was once a mill containing several waterwheels producing flour, animal feeds and woollen cloth. Today the Mill represents one of the most important remaining chapters in the story of Exeter’s industrial estate.

However, Cricklepit Mill’s history hasn’t always been plain sailing. Following a period of decline in the use of watermills, the building went through a number of changes before it eventually became derelict in the 1970s. Devon Wildlife Trust restored the mill in 2006, and the building was brought to life once again as a headquarters for the conservation charity and a working mill.

Today, the mill is still being used and developed by a dedicated group of volunteers. The waterwheel which provides the power for grinding grain into flour has been the focus of recent renovation work.

Jasmine Atkinson, communications assistant for Devon Wildlife Trust said: "It is sometimes difficult to imagine how millers made a living in the drier parts of the year. Sometimes we can only mill for a short time before the water runs out! We needed to make the wheel more efficient."

It is thought that the wheel may once have had wooden boards at right angles to each paddle to stop the water from passing over the wheel. Jasmine explained: "You can imagine the new sole boards, as they are known, creating a kind of bucket that catches the water".

Jasmine also thanked the volunteers for their hard work and enthusiasm: "The volunteer millers are at the heart of Cricklepit milling events, they are always looking to improve what we do and I think the traditional millers of the past would be delighted with the new sole boards!"

Volunteer millers are keen to test out the newly improved wheel at the regular milling events held by Devon Wildlife Trust. The next Cricklepit Milling Morning runs from 10am-noon on Friday (11 April) and visitors are invited in to see how wheat can be milled in the traditional way.

If you would like to find out more about Cricklepit Mill and the events on offer, visit the what's on page at www.devonwildlifetrust.org.

Cricklepit Mill’s visitor area and gardens are open to the public 9am-5pm weekdays, throughout the year. Entry is free.