Themes on mills and milling

The Mills Archive contains a wealth of information about mills and milling and the people involved.  We encourage researchers to explore its riches and make the results of their work available to others.  On this page we host a series of articles dealing with some historical, social and technical aspects of the subject and we welcome further contributions.

Historical introduction

by Luke Bonwick

Traditionally, a mill powered by wind, water or animals would have served every community. The study of milling from ancient querns to the steam mills of the Victorian era has fascinated historians for many years. Read this article.

Women in milling

by Claire Wooldridge

An investigation the role of women in the milling industry, based in part upon the 1881 census returns and also books, articles and other online resources from the Mills Archive catalogue. I have largely focused on the nineteenth century and later. Read this article.