With all the recent snow I wanted to get out with my camera exploring.
Bourton mill is located a few miles outside Gillingham (near Shaftesbury) just off the A303 . Bourton Mill, closed in around 1998. At the time it closed it was owned by Freeman Foods and produced dried milk. Its had a long interesting history and for a long time had the largest water wheel in Britain (Rumoured to be Europe). Whilst the water wheel is no longer there as it was removed during WW1, there's still plenty to see.
Outside in the packing area
Some of the ceiling and floor is really starting to show its age, the oldest part of the mill collapsed a few years ago - other parts are left like this
Throughout the mill there's a constant sound of water, I finally managed to trace it. If you clamber up some nearby wooden stairs there's a great deal of water falling where the wheel used to be, for some reason I didn't get a photo of it.
Boilers
I'm guessing a fellow explorer cut into the cable from the ceiling - Was quite surprised to see the saw fixed in there.
Dryer Fan Motor
Dryer heater
This is where the milk would pour through onto a metal disc above the heater, in turn it would be turned into powder and fed down through the floor into cotton bags (which are still there).
In the near future, the site is to be demolished and turned into 30 houses (Originally proposed to be 50, but recently reduced) so if you want to see this one get there in the net few months. It's in such a quiet village, it's a great explore. I bumped into a local whilst visiting who mentioned their website, there are some great photos of the mill from the 1860's so worth checking out - http://bourtondorset.org/7.html
Bourton mill is located a few miles outside Gillingham (near Shaftesbury) just off the A303 . Bourton Mill, closed in around 1998. At the time it closed it was owned by Freeman Foods and produced dried milk. Its had a long interesting history and for a long time had the largest water wheel in Britain (Rumoured to be Europe). Whilst the water wheel is no longer there as it was removed during WW1, there's still plenty to see.
Outside in the packing area
Some of the ceiling and floor is really starting to show its age, the oldest part of the mill collapsed a few years ago - other parts are left like this
Throughout the mill there's a constant sound of water, I finally managed to trace it. If you clamber up some nearby wooden stairs there's a great deal of water falling where the wheel used to be, for some reason I didn't get a photo of it.
Boilers
I'm guessing a fellow explorer cut into the cable from the ceiling - Was quite surprised to see the saw fixed in there.
Dryer Fan Motor
Dryer heater
This is where the milk would pour through onto a metal disc above the heater, in turn it would be turned into powder and fed down through the floor into cotton bags (which are still there).
In the near future, the site is to be demolished and turned into 30 houses (Originally proposed to be 50, but recently reduced) so if you want to see this one get there in the net few months. It's in such a quiet village, it's a great explore. I bumped into a local whilst visiting who mentioned their website, there are some great photos of the mill from the 1860's so worth checking out - http://bourtondorset.org/7.html
