Mill At Methleigh

The Mill at Methleigh is a watermill, likely built in the early 19th century, with most of its structure rebuilt in the mid-19th century. It features Killas stone and granite dressings, topped with a scantle slate roof. The mill has a small rectangular plan with deep wheel slots on each side and an additional slot at the rear. It retains a 22-foot diameter overshot wheel on the left, although the timber arms are mostly missing, with only fragments remaining in the nave. The building stands three storeys tall, with the second floor partly within the roof space, and has a symmetrical gable end with two windows. There are six-pane windows and a central doorway on each floor, with ledged doors; the upper doorway has a corbelled sack hoist above it. Each return wall has a doorway to the first floor, accessible by bridges.

Inside, the mill features mid-19th century floors and roof structure, along with complete mill machinery from the late 19th century, which includes two drive gears—one still complete with wooden cogs—and two sets of stones on the first (stone) floor, housed in octagonal wooden cases. There is also a hoisting pulley in the attic and the sawn-off remains of two heavy timbers from earlier machinery. The water supply system at Methleigh, which serves the mill, farm buildings, house, and gardens, is a significant achievement in planning and engineering, likely the most complex of its kind in Cornwall.