Stainsby Mill, Historic watermill in Ault Hucknall, England
Stainsby Mill is a watermill in Ault Hucknall, Derbyshire, built from coursed sandstone with a slate roof in the late 18th century. Inside, a cast-iron water wheel drives three pairs of grinding stones that are still used to process grain today.
The mill was built in the late 1700s to serve the farming community around the Hardwick Estate. The National Trust took over the property in 1976 and restored the mill to full working order in the early 1990s.
Stainsby Mill sits within the Hardwick Estate and is looked after by the National Trust as a working building, not just a relic. On days when the mill is running, visitors can watch flour being ground and sometimes buy the result at the site.
The mill opens from Easter through October and sits within the Hardwick Estate, close to Hardwick Hall. Visiting on a day when milling is taking place gives the best sense of how the building works.
The mill's water wheel was once also connected to turbines that pumped water directly to Hardwick Hall, making it more than just a grain processing building. This dual function meant the mill was one of the central mechanical systems of the whole estate.
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