Middleton Archeological Society clean up old water mill

Middleton Archeological Society cleaning up the water mill

Middleton Archeological Society has cleaned up the ruins of an old water mill in Hopwood Woods.

The clean up, which was held on Saturday 11 October, was attended by members of the society as well as several Friends of Hopwood Woods.

Following a description of how the mill worked by committee member Cliff Ivers, the team set to work with brushes and shovels to remove years of vegetation and rubble.

By late afternoon, the mill floor and walls of the mill were close to their original condition.

Chairman of the society Lee Wolf said: “Everybody had a great time. We had a healthy workout as well as learning something about this valuable part of Middleton's heritage.”

There has been a water mill on the Hopwood Hall Estate since at least 1570. It was used by Lord Hopwood’s tenant farmers to grind corn into flour for bread making or for making animal feed. 

The mill was then preserved for many years by Lady Susan Hopwood who kept it as a picturesque garden feature.

Middleton Archaeological Society hope to return to the mill to investigate other features on the site.