The Forgotten Watermill Wheel
by Mal Bray
Title
The Forgotten Watermill Wheel
Artist
Mal Bray
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The first documented use of watermills was in the first century BC and the technology spread quite quickly across the world. Commercial mills were in use in Roman Britain and by the time of the Doomsday Book in the late 11th Century there were more than 6,000 watermills in England. By the 16th Century waterpower was the most important source of motive power in Britain and Europe. The number of watermills probably peaked at more than 20,000 mills by the 19th Century.
The Norman Conquest introduced the feudal system to the country and ‘soke rights’ forced everyone to have their corn milled at the mill owned by their Manorial Lord which stayed in use until as late as the 19th Century. Although the “Right of Soke” was never written in law, it was commonly practised in Britain – and throughout Europe – until the 16th century, even after the country had moved away from feudalism. Watermills continued to play an important role in British rural life and were in growing demand, as improvements in farming techniques enabled farmers to produce even more corn, which was being ground to make flour in local mills such as the ‘Old Mill’.
With agricultural developments at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, people began to move away from agriculture into other industries. The population began to move to Britain’s growing towns and cities in search of the new jobs and by the mid-nineteenth century Britain had changed drastically. The population had doubled in less than 60 years, Britain was becoming increasingly urbanised and technology was changing the processes of production.
There was a growing demand for flour within towns and cities and shortages developed. To fill the gap, Britain became more reliant upon imported corn from countries such as the USA and Russia. These imports were limited due to the unpopular ‘1815 Corn Laws’, which placed quotas and levies upon the crop to protect British landowners from competition. In 1846, the ‘Corn Laws’ were repealed, allowing unlimited imports of the crop into the UK and this finally signalled the end of the water mill.
Large quantities of the crop were arriving in Britain’s ports and although water mills were still being used during this period, they were coming under increased pressure from the new steam mills. Despite initial problems with steam engines, over the years they became more and more efficient. The new mills also favoured a roller rather than the millstone that was used in water and windmills. The roller had two advantages; it produced whiter flour, which was considered to be superior, and it left less oil in the flour, so the bread lasted longer.
As the quantity of corn produced on local farms fell and the amount imported increased, this combined with a growing demand for flour in towns and cities. Land communications improved with the introduction of the railways which allowed flour milled in the ports to be moved easily to the towns and cities where it was needed.
Rural water mills began to close down to be replaced by the large, industrial, port-based steam-powered mill and by the end of the 19th Century almost all rural watermills had ceased commercial production
One great artist forever associated with the watermill is the English painter John Constable. Flatford Mill on the River Stour close to the Suffolk-Essex border features in many of his paintings. It lay at the heart of the corn milling business run by Constable’s father, Golding.
Examples of Constable's paintings including studies made at Flatford mill can be seen at : http://www.tate.org.uk
This picture is of an old disused watermill residing in a tree shrouded valley near Fforddlas Bridge, Glan Conwy, Wales, UK
Uploaded
August 24th, 2010
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