Healy Mill

Sitting in a peaceful dell in the bend of the Reaston Burn and hidden away in the Middle Rigg Plantation sits the idyllic Healey Water Mill.

Spring is a lovely time to sit and soak up this place. The airwaves are alive with returning chiff chaff and willow warbler, as well as the gush and rush of the burn babbling away beneath this little wooden bridge.

It was home to dipper and grey wagtail, hurrying from stone to stone.

A mill on this site has been listed from the early 1600s, but the current mill is thought to have been built in the early 19th century, with farm buildings from the late 18th century.

It looked like it had undergone some restoration since it was purchased by its new owners in 2014. It was tastefully restored and almost had a French look to it; classy muted tones and tasteful glazing that complemented the overall look.

The mill is a three-storey stone building, situated next to an adjoining two-storey house, 'evidently built with better quality stone', or so Niklaus Pevsner assures me! You could tell when looking from the front of the building that it looked a little more polished! Look at that fancy pants pediment above the door!

There was also a stable block with adjacent pigsties and an elevated ramped area to the rear.

Looking closely, there was a raised channel known as a leat, that fed the water from the weir to the wheel. It appeared to be made of wood and was sitting on a stone wall, running into the building where I imagine the waterwheel would have been housed. It would have been good to have known if the water wheel was still in existence!

The sluice gates were still visible and looked in working order, if a little hugged up by woodland garlic! Never mind the French appearance; it smelled like an Italian restaurant. In the middle of nowhere, Healey Mill's got a lot going for it!

The mill sat in a cobbled courtyard with the burn running behind it. I'd imagine in its time it would've been quite a hive of energy, harnessing the power of the burn.

In the late 19th century, it provided electricity to the Healey Estate but ceased operating as a mill in 1900. Quite mind-blowing to think that water from the beautiful burn was used to humbly grind corn, as well as harnessing the power of the water to generate electricity for the gentry.

All in an idyllic little hidey hole carpeted with celandine, common dog-violets, and wild strawberries that virtually no one will ever see.