History of Stainsby Mill

A historic mill 

Built on the banks of the Doe Lea river, the mill at Stainsby has been part of the Derbyshire countryside for centuries.

It is believed that the mill has medieval origins, despite it not being mentioned in the Doomsday book. However, there was certainly a watermill on the site by the 13th century as documents record that it was valued at 30 shillings and 8 pence in 1298/9. The Savage family owned Stainsby manor and mill at this time, but it was bought by Bess of Hardwick in 1593 and remained in Cavendish ownership until the Hardwick Estate was transferred to the National Trust in 1958. 

The water supply, used to turn the wheel at the mill, originates from the Doe Lea but has proven erratic over the years. The Mill dam alone did not supply enough water to run the wheel, so by 1712 water was allowed to be taken from the ‘nether Great Pond in Hardwick Parke’, i.e. Miller’s Pond. However, it was strictly forbidden to take water out of the ‘upper’ Great Pond. By 1762 a new supply of water had been provided by the construction of Stainsby Pond, for the sole use of the mill.  

The Millers 

The Miller would have been an important job on a working estate. Ensuring the mill functioned smoothly required them to have numerous skills, including farming, milling, engineering, stone masonry and joinery. By the 17th century Stainsby Mill was being run as part of a farm. The Miller would have benefitted greatly from the waste products of the milling process to feed their animals and poultry on the farm, especially as in 1685 an order was passed at the manor court: ‘That every person that holds any land in this mannor shall grind all his corn at Stainsby mill or forfitt for every offence 5 shillings’.  

The Miller’s skills were often passed from father to son or heir. At Stainsby this seems to have also been true, as the same families tenanted the mill for long periods of time. In 1666 an Anthony Baguley is mentioned in the accounts for Stainsby Mill Farm, and by 1667 it was leased to Robert Mason for 21 years. By 1689, the Saunders family were renting the farm and mill, and they remained tenants until 1865, followed by the Hitch family. 

The 6th Duke of Devonshire 

By the 1840s the mill had fallen into disrepair, so Kirkland and Son, a firm of Mansfield millwrights, were brought in to survey it. The 6th Duke of Devonshire subsequently paid about £1000 (approximately £200,000 today) for the mill to be rebuilt to house new milling technology. This consisted of adding a French Burr grinding stone which created a lighter flour for high-quality baked goods, and an iron waterwheel that still survives today.  

The National Trust 

Stainsby Mill saw another period of decline during the 1940s and closed in 1952. Following the death of the 10th Duke of Devonshire and the subsequent death duties, the family could not afford the upkeep of the mill. In 1958 it was transferred to the National Trust along with the Hardwick estate.  

Much of the original stonework remained when the National Trust took ownership of the mill and from 1990 to 1992 Stainsby Mill underwent restoration to the historic machinery and structure of the mill. All the cast-iron machinery was in pieces, but most remained on site and could be cleaned and reassembled, while rotten wooden parts were replaced by replicas in new wood. It was reopened to the public in 1992.