History

Eskdale Mill is a rare survival of a traditional watermill and drying kiln. It is the last remaining working water-powered corn mill in the Lake District National Park.

The mill is at the centre of an intimate huddle of buildings on the north side of the fast-flowing Whillan Beck. It meets the moorland at the edge of Boot. The buildings and their setting create an authentic historic atmosphere. Many original features and working parts survive. Alterations and improvements in technology over time are reflected in how the Mill developed.

The Mill is Grade II* listed. The stables and stone packhorse bridge over the Whillan Beck are both separately Grade II-listed. Other buildings also covered by listing include the 18th-century miller’s cottage, on the other side of the track onto the fells.

The title deeds for the mill go back to 1737, when Edward Stanley of Haile sold it to Edward Hartley of Miterdale Head.

The Trust has deposited the deeds on permanent loan with the Cumbria Archive Service’s archive centre in Whitehaven, where they are stored in controlled conditions and are freely available for public reference.

You can see a full list of the deeds, and a short summary of each document, under reference YDEC/20 in Cumbria Archive Service’s online catalogue, CASCAT, at http://archiveweb.cumbria.gov.uk/calmview/

You can also view the archaeological report completed for us by Greenlane Archaeology Ltd  Greenlane photo survey report May 2019