Rooksbury Mill, Grade II listed watermill in Andover, England
Rooksbury Mill is a listed stone structure situated along the River Anton and surrounded by two lakes that were created after World War II through gravel extraction activities. The site spans multiple landscape types including water, woodland, and open grassland areas.
The mill was built in the late 16th or early 17th century and may connect to one of eleven mills recorded in the 1089 Domesday Book. The structure has undergone changes over the centuries and eventually became part of a nature conservation site.
Today the site functions as a nature reserve where visitors walk through wetland forests and grasslands to observe wildlife. The lakes and riverside create spaces where people can watch birds and other animals in their natural habitats.
The site lies south of Andover center near the A303 and is easily accessible by car with free entrance to the grounds. Walking paths loop around the lakes and through the different landscape types making it simple to explore on foot.
In 1812 lightning struck the mill's barn causing it to burn completely and destroying a cart inside while temporarily blinding one of the men sheltering there. This dramatic event remains a notable moment in the mill's history that locals remember.
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