14 Mills to Visit in the North of England this National Mills Weekend
14 Mills to Visit in the North of England this National Mills Weekend
On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, over a hundred windmills and watermills will open their doors as part of National Mills Weekend – our annual celebration of the heritage and history of mills, and the people who care for them today.
We’ve rounded up 14 of the most unmissable National Mills Weekend events in the North of England.
Find your nearest participating mills and get involved with the fun! Remember to share your photos with us @spabmills #NationalMillsWeekend.
Holgate Windmill, York © staoist520
1. Stretton Watermill, Malpas, Cheshire
Visit this beautiful mill and see its two working waterwheels, a pair of demo stones, sack hoist and other kit all demonstrated by a friendly, welcoming miller.
Open Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, 1-5pm. Entry £3.70 (cash only).
2. Bunbury Mill, Cheshire
Experience a working watermill from start to finish at Bunbury Mill – from the grain arriving at the mill, to the water driving the machinery, to the flour pouring into the sacks.
Open Sunday 12 May, 1-5pm. Entry £6, 5-11s £3, family tickets available.
3. Little Marton Windmill, Blackpool, Lancashire
This charming windmill features a museum of Fylde windmills with pictures, displays and models, as well as surviving 19th century machinery.
Open Sunday 12 May, 11am - 4pm. Adults £2 including refreshments, children go free.
4. Gayle Mill, Hawes, Yorkshire
This is the perfect time to visit this working water-powered sawmill. Thanks to the hard work of a small team of volunteers, water is now running again for the first time in several years. Visitors should be able to see the woodworking machinery in operation on the day.
Open Sunday 12 May, 10am - 4pm with guided tours on the hour. Suggested donation £5, under-18s go free.
Gayle Mill © Jim via Adobe
5. Wortley Top Forge, Sheffield, Yorkshire
Wortley Top Forge is now the only water-powered heavy iron forge which retains its original buildings, hammers, cranes and working waterwheels. Additional attractions include guided tours and workshops.
Open Sunday 12 May 10am – 4pm. Adults £5, concessions £3, children £1.
6. Holgate Mill, York, Yorkshire
National Mills Weekend is a great time to visit Holgate Mill. Volunteers will be on hand all day (dressed in traditional mill dress!) and you’ll get to see the sails turning if there is sufficient wind. There’s also a mill shop selling our milled flours and other gifts.
Open Saturday 11 May, 10 - 4pm. Adults £5, under-16s go free.
7. Acorn Bank Watermill, Penrith, Cumbria
This lovely watermill is leased from the National Trust and run entirely by volunteers, who have been busy installing a second waterwheel. Come along to see their progress and watch as they mill wholemeal flour, available for purchase, using the first wheel and a set of French burr stones. Children can also have a go at milling for themselves using a hand quern.
Open Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, 11am - 3pm. Admission is via the National Trust Acorn Bank. There is no additional charge to visit the mill.
8. Gleaston Water Mill, Ulverston, Cumbria
Still in working order, the mill is now a heritage museum filled with milling, farming and domestic artefacts. For National Mills Weekend, Furness Amateur Radio Society will be on site contacting mills around the world as part of Mills on Air! There will also be a quiz.
Open Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, 11am - 4.30pm. Adults £5, concessions £4.50, two children free with each full paying adult.
Gleaston Water Mill © Kevin Eaves
9. Eskdale Mill, Holmrook, Cumbria
Visit Grade II* listed Eskdale Mill to see its original working machinery, double overshot waterwheels and intact drying tiled rack with peat kiln. There will also be children's activities and interactive exhibitions so there’s fun for all the family.
Open Sunday 12 May, 10.30am - 4.30pm. Adults £7, children go free.
10. Heron Corn Mill, Beetham, Cumbria
Visit this Grade II* listed watermill for free throughout National Mills Weekend. If you’re looking to learn more about the area’s rich milling history, on Sunday 12 May the mill is also hosting local historian and archaeologist Dan Elsworth for a talk about the mills of Ulverston, from the medieval period to the modern – prebook for the talk.
Open Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, 11am - 4pm. Free to visit, £5 for the talk.
11. Cragend Farm, Morpeth, Northumberland
National Mills Weekend is a great opportunity to look around this hydraulic water-powered model farm.
Open on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, 11am - 4pm. Entry £15 including a brochure and refreshments. Booking is essential, please email info@cragendfarm.co.uk
12. Heatherslaw Corn Mill, Wooler, Northumberland
Experience the sight, sound and smell of this traditional mill. You’ll learn how millers produce flour from wheat grown in the local surrounding fields, just as they have done here for many centuries.
Open on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, 10am - 5pm. Entry £5, under-5s go free.
13. Fulwell Windmill, Sunderland
Visit Fulwell Windmill on a free guided tour – now the only working windmill in the north east of England. Email Colin Liddle to book your place.
Open Sunday 12 May, 10.30am - 3.30pm.
14. Worsbrough Mill
The Grade II* listed watermill produces organic, stoneground flour. Visit to see the original 17th century watermill as well as the fabric and machinery of the 19th century extension which was a steam-powered mill.
Open Sunday 12 May, 10am - 3pm.
Heron Corn Mill © Chris Allen, CC BY SA 2.0