Heron Corn Mill
Building In Beetham, Cumbria
A working water mill built in 1740 near the River Bela.
Whilst we love getting around the North, we haven't explored much of the North West, so we decided to head over to Lancashire in early 2025. One of our first stops was the lovely little gem - Heron Corn Mill. We were there over the Easter weekend and the place was heaving with a great buzz about it.
There were plenty of guides there to direct you where to park and explain the layout of the mill to you on your arrival. The site is made up of a working 18th century watermill built in 1740, and a repurposed threshing barn, which was once used to prepare corn for storage and milling. Interestingly, 'corn' is a generic term for all types of cereals including oats, rye, wheat and barley, and oats were the first cereals to be milled here.
The threshing barn is now a community space and cafe which does a smashing coffee, and the room can be hired for meetings, seminars and other activities. The mill itself still works and guided tours are available to book on the first Friday of every month currently costing £6.50. Otherwise, if you want to wander around on your own, a visit is free of charge.
We chatted to a couple of the guides as we wandered round who explained parts of the building to us. The first room we came to was the kiln where the corn was dried out before it was milled. The corn was raked over a special tiled floor to remove the outer hull and a fire was lit underneath in the basement to provide the heat to dry out the corn. We had a peek in the basement where the fire was lit and a guide showed us a teeny door he had to climb through to do any repairs to the kiln. I think I might have just got my arm through the door, so I don't think kiln maintenance is for me. Down in the basement you could also see the waterwheel which powered the whole mill.
The main milling room houses 4 sets of mill stones which ground up the corn, all housed behind a 'hurst frame'. This wooden frame helps to minimise noise and vibrations that could damage the mill's structure and is known as the 'lowder frame' at Heron Corn Mill. This room was a hive of activity when we visited, with guides explaining the milling process and volunteers bagging up flour ready to sell. The flour is available to buy in the shop if you fancy making your own bread.
The grounds of the mill are fairly small but you can have a short wander round to admire the River Bela which was responsible for powering the waterwheel and ultimately the building. As you wander round, you'll also spot a fish pass which helps salmon and sea trout to swim upstream between September and December to spawn.
The mill has benefitted from various grants over the years and in 2013, received £900k in funding from the National Lottery which helped restore the mill to it's former glory. Money received in 2009 allowed the team to install a Kaplan Hydropower Turbine at the mill, which generates enough power to run the mill buildings and any excess electricity is sold to the paper mill over the river.
This was an interesting place and a great introduction to the Lancashire area.
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How To Find Heron Corn Mill
Where Is Heron Corn Mill?
Lat / Long
54.213009, -2.774063
What three words
Where To Park For Heron Corn Mill?
Lat / Long
54.213036, -2.774986
What three words
There is on site parking at the mill.
Contributed by Sandra Clemens
I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.
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