Cricklepit Mill

This morning we took the short stroll to Cricklepit Mill near Exeter's Quay. It has recently been restored by the Devon Wildlife Trust to house their offices, and the 2 water wheels restored, one of them a fully operational grinder. Today they had an open day, and running the mill for one of the first times for over 50 years. I have watched the building disintegrate over many years, a fire a few years back pretty much finishing it off, so I was interested to see it in its restored state.


(I have later realised that this image is the wrong way, but I will leave it as I am sure no one noticed!)

A handful of early risers (well early for a Sunday) witnessed the massive iron cogs grinding into action, the wooden teeth perfectly locking together to make wheels turn, and grain to be smashed into grainy flour (which tasted, well, like grainy flour), and then went upstairs to see the grain falling into the mill stones (sadly hidden in a wooden surround).



Outside the small piece of land that runs alongside the leat (a westcountry name for a little manmade stream) had been turned into a wild flower garden. It really shows the potential of even a small piece of what was previously wasteland.



A quick wander around an exhibition of Devon Archaeology at the XCentre and the Customs House (also open to the public for one day, but rather disappointingly just boring offices now, albeit with rather pretty ceilings) a quick coffee and it was time to head off home to watch the Grand Prix.