West Mill

The following entry shall be added:

WEST MILL LANE 1. 1625 West Mill ST 6315 6/373 II 2. Early C18 replacing earlier mill. Worked commercially until 1950's. The only surviving mill in Sherborne. Sits directly on the river Yeo. Small square 2 storey building in hamstone rubble. 2 windows to west. Pit wheel and gable light to south. Raised door (to upper floor) and window above blocked doorway to east. North wall rebuilt. Wooden lintels. New roof. Former miller's house to north removed recently. To north-west is a very large late C19 bread oven with brick lined vault, which was formerly behind the miller's house but is all that survives of the building. Surviving machinery includes the pit-wheel (1877), a considerable amount of gearing and various mill-wheels etc. Outside to east is a pulley wheel formerly to take drive from a steam-engine when the river was sluggish. Breakwater for pit wheel and sluice walls probably repaired 1877. The mill has recently (Feb 1979) been restored by the boys of Sherborne School who intend to return it to use as a mill with exhibition space etc to north.

Listing NGR: ST6317415387