History
There has been a mill on this site since the Domesday Book of 1086. The current building dates to 1864. There are two pairs of millstones, driven by the original Victorian waterwheel. The wheel was made by the Alfred Bodley company of Exeter, who were ironfounders and made a variety of boilers and stationary steam engines in addition to milling equipment.
The mill is usually in operation on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, though it is open daily so you can see the milling equipment even when flour grinding is not taking place.
When the mill is in operation you can watch the entire milling process, from the waterwheel turning the cogged gears to the grinding wheels producing fresh flour, ao the flour being bagged and stamped, ready for sale.
The mill produces organic stoneground flour, using traditional handcrafted techniques and the same machinery that the mills used here over 150 years ago. There are 3 grades of flour milled at Burcott; coarse, fine, and extra fine, as well as organic spelt flour.
During the summer months, you can take a guided tour with the miller, watching the waterwheel and the Victorian machinery grinding grain, and you can taste the results with samples of fresh bread baked from the mill's organic flour. There are also special children's tours available during half-term holidays.
A leat, or water channel, takes water from the River Axe, along a 400 metre run into a mill pond. The sheer volume of water in the pond, rather than the force of the rushing river, is what drives the waterwheel. Huge cogged wheels transfer the motion of the waterwheel into power that turns the huge grinding stones.
Burcott Mill is also a guesthouse and self-catering establishment, so you can stay in the historic mill property and see the Victorian mill at work. The Mill was featured on the Food Network programme 'Market Kitchen' in 2010.
A short distance away are the popular Wookey Hole show caves, and the Mill is just 2 miles from the historic city of Wells.
