Former Watermill at Hether Mill

The former watermill at Hether Mill, now a farm outbuilding, dates to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with minor alterations in the 20th century. It is constructed of coursed squared red sandstone with ashlar dressings, a coped gable to the south-west end, and roofs of graded Westmorland slate and regularly coursed Welsh slate. The building has a linear plan comprising two builds, featuring an external water wheel at the north-east end, a mill drive and stone floor, a drying kiln, storage overlofts, and a loading platform with steps to the south-west gable.

The south-east elevation has an off-centre double doorway with a quoined surround, a shallow basket arch with an advanced keystone, and a loft door above. A stepped catslide roof covers a two-bay offshut to the right. The north-east gable shows a former water wheel hub shaft protruding from an opening at the base of the wall, with metal banding to the bearing end. Circular scoring on the gable wall suggests the wheel had an approximate diameter of 4 metres. A stone-framed opening is visible at the gable apex. To the left of the double doorway, a doorway with a massive surround provides access to the former kiln chamber. A straight joint is visible to the left, followed by two more bays with small, stone-framed openings. The south-west gable has attached steps and a loading platform serving a quoined loft doorway.

The north-west elevation features an off-centre added offshut under a catslide roof. A doorway provides rear access to the kiln chamber, with a line of breathers above ventilating the storage overloft. A quoined doorway is at the right-hand end.

The interior retains the drive mechanism from the former water wheel behind an inserted manger, including a spur wheel and wallower, powering the stone floor above. The stone millstones remain in position, supported by heavy floor beams and vertical posts. The ground-floor drying kiln hearth survives with a separating masonry wall. The attic storey in the north-east section retains two raised cruck trusses.

This is a near-complete example of a rural water-powered mill, incorporating an integral drying kiln. It illustrates regional vernacular building traditions and represents the scale and level of technical development of farm-based cereal processing in the area during the early 19th century.