Panský mlýn, Watermill in Starosedlský Hrádek, Czech Republic.
Panský Mlýn is a mill complex on Hrádecký Stream below Hrádecký Pond, consisting of a two-story residential building, farming structures, and a water channel system. The site preserves traditional Czech mill architecture with original structural elements and perimeter walls.
The mill is first mentioned in the village in 1549. In 1717 the Březnice Jesuit college leased it to Václav Kott; in 1754 the Škola family from the nearby free Školov mill took over. The Jesuits leased it to the Zík family in 1772, the year the timber barn was built, and a 1777 contract granted the miller 15 tree trunks from the manorial forests, which he had to fell and haul himself. Marie Zíková sold the mill in 1889 to Prince Karel Schwarzenberg; the Řezníček family then held it as tenants, with František Řezníček as the last miller.
The mill's name, Panský mlýn (Manor Mill), refers to its ownership by the Březnice Jesuit College, which leased it to miller families. A 1777 contract with the Hrádek miller granted him 15 tree trunks from the manor forests, which he had to fell and transport himself, free of charge. The mill remained in operation until František Řezníček, its last miller; his son trained in Březnice but did not practise the trade.
The mill stands at the western edge of Starosedlský Hrádek, below Hrádecký Pond on Hrádecký Stream, beside the former fortress site. The mill, farm building and enclosing wall are a protected monument, so the buildings are not open for free entry; the grounds and the 60-metre millrace, partly cut into the ground, can be seen from the lane through the village.
The mill's equipment includes a Francis horizontal turbine with a wet suction pipe, rated at 12 HP at 270 l/s and a 4.5 m head. The water book records two overshot wheels here, one 426 cm in diameter with a 73 cm rim, the other 395 cm with a 79 cm rim. A Škoda electric motor of 7.5 kW stands in the turbine house.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,367 contributors worldwide.