Welcome to Acorn Bank Watermill

Spring 2024

Early May Bank Holiday weekend - Acorn Bank Watermill will be open and milling on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May, however due to a shortage of volunteers we will not be able to mill on Monday 6th May. We will however be open for you to look around and come and buy some flour.

Work completed during the winter

During the winter our focus has been on making progress with the second waterwheel project. We have successfully extended the launder to allow water to flow to the second wheel, including installing diverting devices so that water can be used by either or both wheels in the future. We have also found and taken delivery of a set of mill machinery to replace that missing set for the second wheel. The difficult task of getting the large pit wheel into the mill building was completed just before the end of the closed season and it can now be seen inside the mill.

If you want to buy our Acorn Bank Stoneground Wholemeal Flour when we are closed it is available from the visitor welcome hut at Acorn Bank and from our local shops - Nature's Health in Penrith, Kirkby Thore Post Office and Stores, Stainton Village Shop and Alston Wholefoods.

The Acorn Bank Watermill Trust

The watermill at Acorn Bank has been restored into a working state by a group of National Trust volunteers over the last thirteen years. In 2019 the mill was running regularly every weekend and grinding flour which was sold to visitors. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the National Trust to re-evaluate the operation of many of its properties including Acorn Bank.

The Acorn Bank Watermill Trust has been set up by the mill volunteers to continue to maintain and run the mill and keep it open for visitors to Acorn Bank. The mill buildings will be open to visit on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays when the Acorn Bank garden is open. Entry to the mill is free but access is through the National Trust Acorn Bank garden for which charges apply. Opening times for Acorn Bank can be found from the National Trust website, use the National Trust link on this page to find out when Acorn Bank is open. Find out about the progress we are making towards reopening the mill and when we are milling again by checking our Facebook page. The blog records the work that has been carried out over the years by a small group of dedicated volunteers.