Town Mill Lyme Regis Dorset
The first clear evidence of a town mill in Lyme dates from 1340, when King Edward III granted the burghers of Lyme a licence to build a new watermill on the present site. But William the Conqueror's Domesday Book records a mill in Lyme in 1086, so the site could be a thousand years old. In 1644, during the Civil War, the Town Mill was severely damaged. After the war, the mill was rebuilt and much of the stone structure you see today dates from this 1648 rebuilding. From the Middle Ages the mill was powered by two overshot waterwheels on the outside of the north wall, with each wheel driving one set of stones. However, following improvements in milling technology, a much larger breastshot wheel was installed in the mid 1700s and this wheel drove two sets of stones. This wheel was itself replaced, around 1797, by a more powerful overshot wheel installed inside the mill building, in the position of the wheel you can see today. A ten-year restoration project to rescue this ancient but derelict watermill in the heart of Lyme Regis was completed in 2001. The volunteer-run Town Mill is now back in full working order and open to visitors throughout the year.
Size: 5477px × 3638px
Location: Mill Lane Lyme Regis Dorset England UK
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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