City mill brings history alive

Devon Wildlife Trust is opening its doors on Friday 14 March for a morning of milling and the chance to see local history come alive.

The event will take place at the charity’s headquarters, the historic Cricklepit Mill situated close to the quayside.

Cricklepit Mill is the last working mill in Exeter and once a month, Devon Wildlife Trust volunteers start the water wheel turning and grind wheat for flour. The events give visitors the chance to learn about the traditional process of flour milling and see an important part of Exeter’s history in action.

Exeter is steeped in history. Once a major exporter of woollen cloth, the city still holds many clues to its past – if you know where to look. As well as milling flour, Cricklepit Mill lay at the centre of Devon’s thriving woollen trade, processing cloth through a process called fulling. The machinery which would have powered this process can still be seen today along with the restored grist mill.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Jasmine Atkinson said “Milling mornings are the perfect time to visit Cricklepit as the historic building really comes alive and shows us what it can do!”

Jasmine added “volunteer millers are here to show visitors how the mill works and share their endless enthusiasm for milling and the production of high quality flour”

Milling mornings usually take place on the second Friday of each month from 10am-noon. The events are free and visitors are invited to pop in to take a look at the restored mill in full operation.

Visitors who feel inspired to get baking can even purchase the flour they have seen being made.

For more information about this event and the work of Devon Wildlife Trust visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org.

Cricklepit Mill’s visitor area and gardens are open to the public 9am-5pm weekdays, throughout the year. Entry is free.