Woodbridge Tide Mill
Posted by: 
CEO44
N 52° 05.406 E 001° 19.262
31U E 384973 N 5772389
One of the oldest, and possibly the last working tide mill in the United Kingdom.
Waymark Code: WMN1QR
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/08/2014
Views: 2
The first record of a mill here, on the banks of the river Deben, is in 1170, owned by the local Augustinian priory. After the Reformation the mill was sold by Elizabeth 1 to the local Seckford Family. Since then several mills have stood on the site. The latest was built in 1793. It has changed hands several times, undergoing many changes over the years. At one point the water wheel was not used and a diesel engine was used to power the mill, grinding animal feed. In 1957 it was finally closed and by 1968 was in a serious state of disrepair. In this year a concerned group of local citizens banded together to purchase and restore the mill. It opened to the public as a living museum in 1973. Further preservation and restoration continues to this day.
The 15 metre oak wheel is powered from a small tidal pool that is filled by the incoming tide. After high tide, on the ebb, the sluice gates are opened and the mill grinds corn, powered by the wheel. Whilst the mill was disused the mill pool was vastly reduced in size. The current pool only has enough water to power the mill for a maximum of one hour. The original pool, now a marina, held enough water to power the mill for over 4 hours.
It is a Grade 1 listed building and has a visitor centre.
The web site is www.woodbridgetidemill.org.uk .
Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit and a brief description of your experience and any additional information you may have about the waterwheel, its current condition, etc. We would very much like at least one original photo from your visit, but it is not absolutely necessary.