Shropshire Tourist Information and Visitor Guide
http://www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/visitor_guide/daniels_mill_guide.shtmlDaniels Mill Visitor Information
Daniels Mill, near Bridgnorth, is one of Shropshire’s gems. It holds the distinction of having the largest diameter waterwheel of any working corn mill in England.
Daniels Mill, near Bridgnorth, is one of Shropshire’s gems. It holds the distinction of having the largest diameter waterwheel of any working corn mill in England.
Situated in a quiet valley beneath a 19th century viaduct carrying the Severn Valley Railway the waterwheel has a diameter of 38 feet 10 inches and uses 3 pairs of French Burr stones for grinding the local corn.
The millers, father and son Alan and Peter George, use locally grown milling corn. It takes longer to grow and costs more, but the end result is that it grinds down to a finer flour.
The mill has been in the family for 300 years and from 1855-1958 it changed little. In 1958 some restoration was needed. But not all the amenities came then. The millers used to grind by candlelight which was a bit risky because freshly ground corn can be a bit explosive. The first electricity in the mill arrived in 1987.
Water mills operate on a series of levels and the dried grains are funnelled down to the grinding wheels. The burr stones break up the grains by squeezing them between the ridges of the revolving stone and the standing stone. After being pulverized the resulting flour falls down another chute into a bin below for bagging.
The water wheel which runs the grinding stones at Daniel’s Mill is made of cast iron and is a by-product of the Industrial Revolution that began at nearby Ironbridge. Dated 1850, the wheel was created in the Coalbrookdale Foundry and installed in 1855.
Today Daniel’s Mill still grinds about ¼ ton of corn per week which is available for sale locally.
During your visit you will be able to watch the process from start to finish, feel the rhythm of the rotating stones and the turning water wheel and sample a scone made fresh from the flour in the refreshment area.
Your hosts recommend allowing 2 hours for your visit and demonstration. After your tour of the milling process, you can return to the shop and look at the miller’s memorabilia collected through the generations. Then, you can truly say “you’ve been put thru the mill”.
There’s always a welcome greeting and a sense of humour at Daniel’s Mill and all questions are answered with enthusiasm.