Shalford Mill
Shalford Mill
Shalford Mill is a restored timber-framed watermill dating to the 18th century. The mill stands in an attractive setting beside the River Tillingbourne. The mill ceased production in 1914, but the original machinery has been preserved.

The mill was rescued from dereliction and gifted to the National Trust by a group of anonymous donors known as 'Ferguson's Gang'.

There are ongoing special events throughout the year, including guided walks and evening talks. Group tours are available by arrangement.

Visiting Shalford Mill

First things first - it is worth noting that there is no parking at the mill, which is down a short drive on the east side of the A281 just south of the parish church. We managed to pull our car off on a nearby side street and walk back to the mill, which was marked by a brown tourist sign on the main road. It was a bank holiday weekend when we visited, and there were activities for children, but to be fair it was not crowded at all. There are no facilities on the site, however; no toilets or cafe, but you can sit by the mill stream and put your feet up!

We were shown around the mill by a volunteer guide who was utterly wonderful. I've visited a dozen or more historic mills over the years and I think I learned more in the 30 minutes we spent exploring Shalford Mill than in all the rest of the mills put together. We learned a lot about how the mill functioned, its history, and the milling process in general.

We also heard about Ferguson's Gang and saw the simple room where they held their meetings, complete with a couple of bunk beds. After our tour was complete we went for a short stroll along the trail that leads from the mill stream through nearby fields.

All in all our visit to Shalford was a smashing success and I can heartily recommend it.

18th century fire insurance plaques
18th century
fire insurance plaques
The waterwheel gear mechanism
The waterwheel
gear mechanism
The grindstone and grain hopper
One of 3 first-floor grindstones
Medieval roof timbers
Medieval roof timbers
The water wheel
The water wheel
Ferguson's Gang meeting room
Ferguson's Gang
meeting room