#147: Last of its kind – Eskdale Mill

2 days ago2 min read

...in which we venture west to the Eskdale village of Boot to visit the last remaining water cornmill in the Lake District.

Guided by Mill manager Kate Hughes, we explore the old gardens – a scene of watery activity, with Willan Beck tumbling over boulders and leats threading through channels to feed three wheels. Here we learn about the long history of milling in Lakeland, where over 2,000 mills harnessed power in their pre-industrial heydey.

Moving indoors, we observe the drying room, where peat briquettes, extracted from Burnmoor, were burned to dry barley – a staple part of the Cumbrian diet for generations.

Moving into the machine room – noisy with belts, drives, cogs and wheels – we consider the hard-graft life of the miller; of the Corn Laws that made of him a pariah in the hamlet; of the seasonal nature of milling; and of the family's women folk, employed in communal baking and washing.

Outside again, walking through sun-dappled daffodils, we marvel at old mill wheels (each ground for a century or more) and the different stones used on different grains.

Finally, Kate chats about her abiding love of Eskdale; of the views from Harter Fell; of the upper Esk pools; and of the vibrant shades of autumn.