Nether Alderley Mill, Historic watermill in Nether Alderley, England.
Nether Alderley Mill is a grain-milling watermill constructed from buff-pink ashlar sandstone with a long roof of Kerridge slate that slopes down its side. Two overshot waterwheels of different sizes operate inside, each driving separate milling equipment for processing grain.
The site was first documented in 1391, but the building standing today was constructed between 1595 and 1597 after the Stanley family gained control of the manor. This reconstruction established the mill as it appears to visitors in the modern era.
The mill represents the backbone of rural life in this region, where grain processing was essential to the community's survival and trade. Visitors can observe how such structures were central to daily economic activity in English villages.
The mill is located along a water stream that feeds into the milling mechanisms via a stone dam structure. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes, as the ground around the mill can be uneven and wet from water flow.
The rear wall of the mill functions both as a dam holding back water and as a defensive barrier for the adjacent Alderley Old Hall manor house. This dual purpose reveals how structures were designed to serve multiple needs in medieval and early modern estates.
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