Maxey Mill, 18th Century Watermill

Maxey Mill Our pigs are reared on stone ground meal, milled at our 18th Century watermill, Maxey Mill. The present mill at Maxey dates from 1779. Situated on the River Welland, it is powered from a breast-shot wheel. In times past, household flour was milled, but since 1970 it has served to produce the feedstuffs for the Grasmere herd.
	Typical sounds that can be heard when the mill is operating include the clattering of the shoe on the damsel as the corn feeds to the stones and the thunder of the flood at the wheel-house door where the gentle pattering of the paddles when they contact the water rushing down the inclined sluiceways.
The famous local poet, John Clare (1793-1864) brought corn to this mill in his young days and wrote in his poem The Fall of the Year; "The Summer's voice is still Save the clacking of the mill And the lowly-muttered thunder of the flood..." It is a tribute to the farming methods of Grasmere Farm that his words still ring true today. By growing our own feedstuffs and using our own herds, we can ensure a consistent taste of the past.