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Saturday 19 May 2018

The Watermill from 1720 to the Present


I am just in the middle of typing some notes about the origins and history of this lovely watermill.   the research belongs to a friend, and local historian, from in the village.

As I pass this place almost every day, I find it endlessly interesting, as well as beautiful.   I enjoy watching it through the seasons and now that I have learnt a little more about some of the people who lived and worked here from the earliest days, I am even more fascinated by the place.

Even the relatively recent past makes for interesting reading.
As the research is not mine to share, 
I will wait until I drop the notes off, 
then I will ask permission to share some of the details with you.






























I walked Toby down to the trout farm and smokery, yesterday morning.   I had spotted some big bunches of beautiful fresh watercress which were standing in water, out by the gate, one pound for a very generous-sized bunch - four times the amount you would get in any supermarket.


Cow parsley is rampant, everywhere looks very frothy and ethereal.     This was a rectory, although it has a different name now.



Owl Wood is looking particularly beautiful - a froth of Queen Anne's Lace/Cow Parsley which is growing up to five foot, dotted in amongst it there are native bluebells, masses of wild garlic, and lots more wild flowers which I must note down some time.




Lunch was a simple meal of watercress, eggs from the hens who live up the lane, with sliced tomato and some pumpernickel bread.      It would have been better with home made bread and home grown tomatoes.




15 comments:

  1. Ohhh yes, more history!!!! Hope she allows you, to share it here.

    I am so *jealous* of your beautiful country side. I am sure, we have beautiful country side here too, if you seek it out. But I don't ramble, so I don't see it.

    Fresh water cress for the picking... Queen Anne's Lace/Cow Parsley, flourishing... Wild garlic... The total beauty of Owl Wood... -happy sigh-

    Lunch looks delicious. And oh those really yellow yokes, of happy chickens!!!!! Truly gorgeous, are they not?

    Please keep sharing photos of Owl Wood. The little wood, across the way, is nothing like yours. -sigh-



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    1. Those eggs are almost as good as the ones our old hens used to lay for us! Owl Wood is at the most beautiful point of the year, filled with glorious scented growth, lots of bird, rabbit, squirrel and hedgehog activity, and almost always filled with birdsong. It is truly delightful and to be enjoyed. Once the cow parsley goes over it all becomes very messy until autumn.

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  2. Elaine,

    Please, do ask permission to disclose some of that lovely mill's history. That would be interesting! How is it used now?

    Am I understanding correctly? Are Queen Anne's Lace and Cow Parsley two names for the same plant? In my experience, here in the states, it's Queen Anne's Lace or wild carrot.

    Ripe tomatoes are in the distant future, yet, here -- unless one has a greenhouse.

    Your wild garlic has broader leaves than anything I know of named garlic. The wild garlic in this part of the world is often called wild onion, I supposed because the leaves are nearly cylindrical and hollow, like an onion. Their leaves are tiny. Does your wild garlic grow under the trees in Owl Wood?

    There has been a lot of owl talk, here in our timber. I think they are barred owls this time of year, but I am no expert! Regardless, it is fun to hear them discussing things in the evenings.

    Thank you for another interesting blog post!

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    1. In England we do use the names differently from the States, so yes, here they usually refer to the same plant, Brett. We also have Hogweed and other white umbrels growing in there, it becomes a froth of white and green. Simply beautiful!
      We are fortunate in having a large polytunnel, so our tomatoes are grown inside there, the protection and heat helps to bring them on quite nicely - a pleasure to be anticipated, sun warm tomatoes, no middle man, no food miles. Wild garlic here has very broad leaves - similar to those of lily-of-the-valley, although the flowers are very different. Of course, one is edible and delicious, while the other is poisonous. Our wild garlic grows very happily in the shade of the trees. Your wild garlic sounds quite different, is it edible?
      Owl talk is one of the most delightful night sounds. I have just been looking up some information on your barred owls and listening to their call - very different indeed! "Who cooks for you?". Handsome birds.

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    2. Good Morning Elaine,

      I am not surprised about the different names for Queen Anne's Lace. Different regions in the U.S. will used different names for the same "weed." I was a little surprised, I had to look it up under "wild carrot" in my weed books. "Queen Anne's Lace" was given as "another" name. It is very common in this area.

      Yes, our wild garlic (or onion) is edible. It appears your wild garlic is much more substantial in size. Ours adds a nice, delicate (I think) flavor to cooked greens, such as spinach [or wild versions like lamb's quarters and pig weed (which is an amaranth)]. But I would have to find a lot of wild garlic to make one of your wild garlics, going by your photos.

      I have never found wild garlic in the timber -- they seem to like the pastures and even the lawn. I used to find them in the very rich soil in Iowa, and now in our sandy loam, here in northern Indiana. So they seem pretty versatile.

      Your tomatoes sound luscious. I couldn't get too many tomatoes during any given summer. We use a product called "Wall o Water" (https://www.wall-o-water.com/) to start tomatoes in the gardens early. But soil temperatures still have to be adequate. This year, that translated into late planting! Of course, that will translate to late ripe tomatoes :-(

      Owls are special to have around. We looked up tawny owl (it does not inhabit the U.S.) several weeks ago, when you posted about them. They, too, are handsome birds. To a novice's eye (like mine), the barred and tawny owls look quite similar. To us, their call is not different (and the tawny's IS). But I can imagine, if someone were unfamiliar with our barred owl's voice and found themselves in a dark woods, their call would be frightening!

      I hope you enjoy your weekend!

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    3. BRETT: Everything you write here, sounds lovely. So I clicked on the click-able link of your name, and....... No blog! -sigh-

      You enjoy reading here, as I do. Would you consider making a blog of your own? Tell about the area, where you live? And whatever else, comes to mind, along the way..?

      Please consider it...

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    4. Hello Brett, Those wall of water extenders sound very interesting, I have just looked them up. Clever idea. Wild garlic is wonderfully mild, a seasonal delight, as are the home-grown tomatoes, etc. Now that the owls are back in the area, although not living in Owl Wood, it is a great joy to fall asleep listening to their calls to one another and to awaken to the sound of the (very) early morning dawn chorus of all the other birds. Luckily, I am an early riser and get the full benefit. The soundtrack of each day would be very much the poorer without birds.

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  3. I have a soft spot for old Mills. Especially if they are still working and sell stone-ground wholemeal flour. I look forward to hearing some of the history of Clapthorpe Mill if you're allowed to use it (I hope you are).

    Owl Wood is looking lovely right now. I adore the froth of the Cow Parsley and hate it when the Councils trash the verges to make them "tidy" and townlike. A man was moaning about the Cow Parlsey along the cut through from town at the back of the old Police buildings this week. I said how LOVELY it was (very enthusiastically) and then he started going on about it growing on the verges and into the road where he lived (in other words, it needed chopping down). I said, well at least it makes fast drivers slow down. I think he thought I came from another planet entirely.

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    1. Unfortunately, this one no longer operates as a mill, but we do have a working windmill just a couple of miles away, so I get most of my flour from them. The lovely old buildings still earn their keep as a visitor attraction.
      I agree with you about the verges, they are filled with wildflowers, tucked in and among the cow parsley. One particular verge has masses of exquisite early purple orchids. I suppose a lot of 'country people' rarely get out of their cars to walk along a country lane, don't see the rich diversity of the verges which they want to have looking manicured and mowed, like a town garden. Three cheers for cow parsley, that frothy delight.

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  4. Such an amazing area. Thank you for any and every photo you post of it. :)

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    1. Thank you, Silver Willow. I think most places have their interesting sights and stories waiting to be told, we just have to look for them - I must admit that this one is particularly easy on the eye though!

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  5. Just a mention of your Owl Wood brings a smile. Our little woodlot is coming to life with wild flowers and beautiful moss of many colours. Lovely photos of the mill and such an interesting building.

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    1. It is such an exciting time in Owl Wood, so I can imagine how lovely your woodlot must be right now. I Love this time of year.

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  6. What beautiful watercress! There is nothing like a fresh, farm egg - you can spot them a mile away with those big orange yolks! The mill is a beautiful structure and the setting is lovely. I do hope your friend will allow you to share some of its history with us.

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    1. They were both very fresh and delicious. The old mill buildings and site have had quite an interesting recent past, diversification in the country. I hope you are feeling a lot better now, Susan.

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Lovely to hear from you.
I will try to answer comments in the next post.