The history of Winchester City Mill

Winchester City Mill, Hampshire, and bridge spanning the River Itchen — Winchester City Mill and bridge spanning the River Itchen | © National Trust Images/Phil Ripley

Winchester City Mill is one of the oldest watermills in the country, with a history dating back over a thousand years. The building’s historical connections range from King Alfred the Great to JMW Turner.

Early records

Saxon origins

A mill has existed on the site of Winchester City Mill since at least Saxon times; the foundation of the building suggests that the Saxon mill was established on the site of an earlier Roman mill. Early records from 932AD and 989AD refer to a watermill owned by the Benedictine nunnery of Wherwell Abbey. 

Declining fortunes

In the Domesday survey of 1086 the mill is recorded as returning a rent of 48 shillings, making it one of the most profitable in the country. However, a series of bad harvests in the early 14th century, coupled with Winchester losing its capital status, reduced its value. The Black Death accelerated the decline and the mill was recorded as derelict by 1471.

A gift to the city

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries it fell into Crown ownership. Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary Tudor, gifted it to the city in 1554 after her wedding in the nearby cathedral.

Later centuries

The mill rebuilt

In 1743, a new tenant named James Cooke began rebuilding and extending the medieval mill. This is the building you see today. The central section with its fine gable was completed first, the eastern section added later. Many structural timbers date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, suggesting much of the structure of the earlier building was retained.

Winchester City Mill and JMW Turner

JMW Turner sketched the mill in 1795 when visiting the area as a young student of the Royal Academy. His image is the earliest known depiction of the building. 

A profitable corn mill

In 1820, John Benham bought the mill and adjoining land. It remained in his family for over 100 years, operating profitably as a corn mill. By the 1880s though, roller milling had largely replaced stone grinding, and milling ceased in the early 1900s.

Close view of the machinery at Winchester City Mill, Hampshire, where corn is ground into flour — Close view of the machinery at Winchester City Mill, where corn is ground into flour | © National Trust Images/Phil Ripley

Recent history

20th century

Following its use as a laundry during the First World War, the mill was offered for sale in 1928. It was saved from demolition by a group of local benefactors who presented it to the National Trust. In 1931 part of the building was leased to the Youth Hostels Association. The mill became the first youth hostel for the London region of the Association, establishing a chain of hostels along the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to Canterbury. The hostel remained until 2004. Little thought was given to milling flour again until the 1980s. Over the following decade a new waterwheel, gearing and millstones were acquired thanks to donations from the Science Museum, among others.

Restoring the equipment

In 2003, millwright and restoration engineer Ian Clark became involved. He worked through the winter to bring the equipment up to the standard required for milling. The first milling demonstration open to the public took place in March 2004 after a gap in commercial production of around 90 years. The years since have seen continued repairs and improvements to the machinery.

The next phase in the Mill's history

In February 2023 the mill wheel was declared unsuitable for continued use and was decommissioned. Since then we have been fundraising and thanks to the help of so many generous supporters. The restoration project has begun and we are working to get back to milling once again.

Close view of the wooden mill gearing at Winchester City Mill, Hampshire — Close view of the wooden mill gearing at Winchester City Mill | © National Trust Images/Phil Ripley

How does the mill work?

The Milling machinery

The grinding process starts when the miller pours grain into the hopper above the millstones. The grain passes into the shoe, which gently shakes it into the centre of the top runnerstone. This shaking is caused by the damsel, a wooden spindle that turns with the runnerstone and taps against the shoe as it rotates. The faster the mill turns, the more grain is fed to the stones. The grain then passes between the rotating runnerstone and the lower bedstone, where it is ground into flour.

To produce high-quality flour, the stones rotate at around 60 revolutions per minute or more. A bell attached to the horse warns the miller if the hopper becomes empty. This is important because running the millstones without grain between them can cause serious wear and damage.

The waterwheel

The waterwheel provides the power to grind flour. It is an undershot waterwheel, located in the left-hand millrace and is turned by the force of the river pushing against its wooden paddles. The wheel turns slowly, making about seven or eight revolutions per minute.

A series of gears connects the waterwheel to the millstones, allowing the stones to spin much faster than the wheel itself. The mill can only operate when the sluice gate is raised, allowing water to flow under the wheel. The controls for the sluice gate are located on the stone floor near the millstones. By raising or lowering the gate, the miller can control how much water reaches the wheel and therefore how fast the mill runs.