Restoring the second waterwheel
90 years after it was last used, the volunteer team at Acorn Bank Watermill have been hard at work preparing to restore the second waterwheel.
Over the winter of 2023, replacement cast iron shrouds were made, and the water channel was extended to feed water along from the existing wheel.
Excitingly, the team have managed to find replacements for the internal mill gearing, which was removed and scrapped in the 1920s when the second wheel was modified to power equipment in the estate’s gypsum mines. They’ve been sourced from a derelict mill in South Wales, the Felin Cwm mill. This will allow them to use the wheel to drive equipment for the first time in nearly a century.
During the winter of 2024/5, the first part - the pit wheel - was installed on the axle of the second waterwheel, which will enable the millers to continue their restoration work.
See the mill in action, producing wholemeal flour, on Saturdays and Sundays (11am-3pm). The mill is also open on bank holidays.
For more information about Acorn Bank Watermill, visit the Acorn Bank Watermill Trust website.
Spectacular Snowdrops at Acorn Bank
Each weekend from 1 February - 16 March we will be open for visitors to come and see the spectacular snowdrop display in the woodland.