Cider Crush Millstone - St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 49° 11.076 W 002° 06.469
30U E 565015 N 5448360
This old cider crush was moved to the main shopping street in St. Helier as a decorative garden planter when it was made traffic free and resurfaced.
Waymark Code: WMWND5
Location: Jersey
Date Posted: 09/21/2017
Views: 2
This form of cider crush with a vertical mill stone is an example of a type of millstone that used to be common on the island of Jersey.
Cider apples were by far the most important crop in Jersey in the 17th and 18th centuries, and cider was being made in large quantities through the 19th and well into the 20th century. For a long period it was by far the most popular drink, because it could be made in the island, from locally grown ingredients, rather than beer having to be made from imported crops which could not be grown well in Jersey.
The crush had a large round central portion with a vertical pillar in the middle. Surrounding the inner circles is a narrow groove with the mill stone arranged vertically. The millstone which was milled on the narrow edge, was connected to the middle pillar by a wooden beam.
The beam projected through the vertical millstone to enable it to be driven by a horse. As the wheel was pulled around the groove it crushed the apples.
These crushes were the first stage in cider making, the resultant
Like this example a number of these millstones have been preserved but turned into a garden ornament with flowers planted in them.
This
website gives details of how they worked.