Heron Corn Mill And Attached Mill Race

Heron Corn Mill is a water-powered corn mill with an attached grain dryer and water supply mechanism, located in Beetham. It dates from the late 18th century or earlier and was remodelled and enlarged in the 19th century. The mill was restored as a museum in 1975. The building is constructed of rubble stone with a slate roof laid to diminishing courses and has an L-shaped layout, with the main mill range running parallel to the River Bela and an ancillary range extending at right angles to the northwest.

The exterior features a river frontage on the southeast, with a dressed stone plinth and a semi-circular arch-headed double doorway leading to the lower level. There are three multi-pane upper floor windows with flat-arched heads. The wide southeast gable has a timber launder that connects to sluice gates operated by rack and pinion mechanisms. A narrow extension to the northwest includes a corn drying kiln with a roof louvre. The single bay northeast elevation has a 20th-century window frame on each floor and a board door.

Inside, the mill's restoration was completed in 1975 and includes a Lowder stone frame on the stone floor, along with complete associated machinery powered by a 14-foot overshot water wheel. The line shafting in the attic drives the sack hoist, which raises grain to the highest part of the building, allowing it to be delivered by gravity onto four pairs of millstones below. The roof structure is supported by trusses with curved knee braces.

Historically, the mill site is believed to have medieval origins, with rights to erect and run a corn mill granted to the Canons of Coningshead in 1220. The current mill operated until 1955, and it retains a complete and working interior, including the rare survival of a Lowder frame.