Houghton Mill and Waterclose Meadows

The watermill is open for pre-booked guided tours on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Join us on Sundays for a new self-led Meet the Millers experience. The car park is open daily between 8.30am-4pm and the tea-room is open daily between 10am-4pm. Find out how to make the most of your visit.

Explore the historic watermill, cycle off on a scenic bike ride, take a boat trip along the river or enjoy a relaxing picnic, Houghton Mill has lots of family-friendly activities to keep all ages happy.

Houghton Mill is the last surviving mill on the River Great Ouse able to produce stone ground flour from a water-powered wheel. When the mill is running you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of this historic building in action.

Enjoy the many routes along the river and through meadows from Houghton Mill to St. Ives, Huntingdon and Godmanchester. We've put together three downloadable walks to help you explore the area.

Canoe along the River Great Ouse and its tributaries from Houghton Mill. Pass through meadows and pastures to the picturesque and historic towns of Huntingdon and St Ives.

Enjoy some great cycling by joining National Cycle Network route 51 which takes you to the beautiful city of Cambridge.

Houghton Mill was a regional powerhouse at the height of the Victorian era, exploiting its position on the River Great Ouse to produce flour on an industrial scale. How did it get to that position and why did it all come to an end?

Business partners Potto Brown and Joseph Goodman embraced new milling technologies to make Houghton Mill one of the most successful mills on the River Great Ouse in the 1850s.

In the early 20th Century Houghton Mill was languishing in a state of disrepair and even faced demolition until it become one of the more unusual venues offered by the Youth Hostel Association.

Our annual mill stone inspection is an essential conservation task before we start milling again each season. But what do the mill stones look like inside and how do we keep them in top condition?

During milling flour dust gets everywhere. Find out how our dusting schedule is less light housework and more a battle with the cobwebs!

During the 19th century, keeping the huge waterwheels turning efficiently was essential to the success of Houghton Mill. Over 150 years later we still need to regularly monitor, maintain and conserve this important piece of machinery.

Do you have some spare time and would like to learn a new skill, meet people and support the vital work of the National Trust? We’re looking for friendly talkers, creative crafters, hands-on millers, green fingered rangers and more to join the team at Houghton Mill. Find the role for you.