Bradlecká Lhota 41, Historical watermill in Bradlecká Lhota, Czech Republic

Dolení mlýn (No. 41) is a watermill on the right bank of the Ploužnický potok, between that stream and the Mlýnský potok, which feeds the millpond. It has a masonry ground floor and a timbered upper floor with a gallery supported by corbels and decorated with a groove motif. The tall gable has carved plank boarding, and the T-shaped complex is covered by two linked saddle roofs.

The mill is first documented in 1568, when Bradlecká Lhota was also called Železná Lhota and had two mills. It was rebuilt in 1781, and dendrochronology dates much of the upstairs timber to around 1780. Antonín Babák became miller in 1872, and his son took over; the mill was later renamed after the family.

The mill shows how millers lived and worked in this region, with spaces arranged for grinding grain and family life. You can see how the river powered the work and how people engaged with this technology daily.

You can reach the mill via hiking trails from nearby villages, with parking available at the municipal office in Bradlecká Lhota. The site is accessible on foot and sits in a quiet landscape along the river.

In November 2015 a great-grandson of the last local miller had a working replica of the wooden mill wheel installed, making Dolení mlýn the first mill in the Liberec Region with a restored water wheel. The wheel is fed by a short millrace from the small pond behind the building.