real time web analytics
Report - - Walk Mill (Staffordshire, Jun, 2021) | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Walk Mill (Staffordshire, Jun, 2021)

Hide this ad by donating or subscribing !

urbanchemist

28DL Regular User
Regular User
One for the mill enthusiast rather than a destination for recreational trespass - a wrecked and potentially rather dangerous old corn mill with attached maltings.

I wasn’t going to bother with this since it looked like it was being renovated from the 2011 street view.
However all that seems to have happened is that several buildings got new roofs, some walls and floors were propped up and everything was then just left.

The mill and surrounding farm buildings are listed and there’s a detailed archeological assessment of the whole lot at https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/live/Documents/Planning Policy/Conservation/Walk-Mill-conservation-Area-Appraisal.pdf

Hiistory summarised from the above.
There’s been a mill here for centuries, originally for ‘fulling’ - woollen cloth processing.
This type of mill was called a ‘walk mill’ since wool and woollen cloth was originally trampled underfoot in various fluids; the little hamlet which grew up around the mill also came to be known as Walk Mill.
The current buildings date from the late 1700s when it had become a corn mill and maltings.
These were small scale local operations back then which is why there so many old mills dotted around the countryside.
In 1975 a tree fell on the main mill effectively killing it and the top two floors later collapsed - the whole site is currently heavily overgrown.

Pictures are mostly phone and only cover the main mill and malthouse - the surrounding farm buildings are empty apart from mangers etc.

Mill pond on the left, with maltings and mill on the other side of the road.

51323804753_c133504b0e_h.jpg



The carving on the lintel at the end of the malthouse says ID 1830, apparently referring to the owner at that time (Isaiah Deakin).


51322866492_1b935fb095_h.jpg



The remains of the mill on the left with the maltings beyond on the right - the waterwheel is in the section between them.


51324323329_a2638da225_h.jpg



Starting with the malthouse, this is mostly empty with the ground floor below road level - it looks like water is seeping through the bottom of mill pond dam embankment on the left.

The tank at one end may have been for steeping the barley.


51323804698_a9b6ebd5f0_h.jpg




51324323309_38a6a40280_h.jpg



An extension near one end contains a kiln, used during malting and maybe later to dry corn to the right consistency for milling.

These are fairly common but fragile so don’t survive well.

This one had the usual arrangement of a floor made of perforated tiles supported on iron rafters over a square brick funnel with a furnace in the centre.

The second picture was taken by sticking my phone through a hole in one of the curved walls and shows some of the perforated tiles.


51323607996_45e7bfee18_h.jpg




51323804648_f6dfbf0604_h.jpg


Next the water wheel which powered the corn mill.

The water went under the road in a pipe…

51323804603_b1fdd61047_h.jpg



…and into a sluice box. The rod at the end is to control the flow of water onto the wheel from inside the mill on the left.


51324596265_a4644c1348_h.jpg



Sluice box from the outside and the wheel - I didn’t notice a maker’s name anywhere.

The listing has this down as an undershot wheel which must be a mistake.


51323607906_0f6caa8a8c_h.jpg




51322866312_b8fb8c3c16_h.jpg




51323607871_b288f06d04_h.jpg



Inside the collapsed mill section it’s a bit of a mess, although much of the machinery still seems to be there.


51323607806_f6b822e796_h.jpg



Main vertical shaft and two views of the partially collapsed wooden framework (hurst frame) with the usual gears.


51323607781_3f3a618056_h.jpg




51323607776_b9794e4a8a_h.jpg




51324596145_0cf3abceae_h.jpg



The top picture below with the plant is one of the remaining grinding stones on the first floor - difficult to get closer since this isn’t really the sort of place to clamber around.


51324323059_b747cd95bf_h.jpg



Some sort of milling machine on the ground and two views of a roller mill.

The only reason this is still up on first floor level is that it’s sitting on it’s own metal framework.


51324323034_c762ba610b_h.jpg




51323607691_0fa3670711_h.jpg




51323607681_6667e004fe_h.jpg



Finally a 1968 photo taken from the ref above showing the original three storey mill with an external wheel, which is still there, to drive machines outside (threshers, wood saws etc.).


51323804333_eb52947f06_h.jpg


So as I said probably not a place to visit unless you’re a proper mill weirdo.

I noticed one of the farm buildings was put up for sale recently as a potential barn conversion - maybe the local trust who own it are trying to raise funds to stop the rest collapsing completely.
 

Who has read this thread (Total: 294) View details

Top