Trafford Mill

Trafford Mill is a water-powered corn mill built around 1830 on earlier foundations, with later 19th-century extensions, all constructed for the Earls of Shrewsbury. The mill features an irregular bond of orange brick, a Welsh slate roof, and a brick chimney, with a long L-shaped plan and a two-storey, 12-bay west front. It has a dentil brick cornice, and the left end bay contains a stone wheelpit with two segmental brick arches on a stone pier, while the seventh bay has another wheelpit with a single segmental arch. The bays between these features have small-pane windows set under weak segmental heads, along with a door and another door leading into an added gable porch. The remainder of the structure includes a driftway, a large cartshed, and a shippon positioned at right angles to the main building. The cartshed and driftway have heavy wooden lintels, while the other openings are similar but larger than those in the original section.

Inside, the mill is being restored as a working museum. The north wheelpit contains an unusual cast-iron single-spoke wheel connected to flour sifting machinery dated 1883. The south wheelpit has a restored low breast wheel and a complete train of machinery that drove three pairs of stones, which were in use until 1952. The ground floor is finished with quarry tiles and features a corner cast-iron fireplace. For further historical context, refer to G. Coppack's unpublished thesis, "A Country Mill, the history of Trafford Mill," from Keele University, 1980.