New Hall Mill and Meadow

We paid a visit to New Hall Mill on Bank Holiday Monday as it was an Open Day. There has been a mill on the site since the sixteenth century although the present building dates from the 18th. It is one of only 2 water mills still surviving in the Birmingham area. The other is Sarehole Mill which I have done several posts on in the past. Some of you may remember that I first discovered New Hall Mill last year and its a lovely place to spend a few hours.

The Mill, a Grade 2 Listed Building, is privately owned and managed by the New Hall Water Mill Preservation Trust. It was restored in the 1970's.

The Overshot water wheel drives two pairs of French Burr Mill Stones producing stone ground wholemeal flour for demonstration purposes. A Ruston and Hornsby diesel engine installed in 1949 runs a combined milling machine and sack hoist.

We had a look round the Mill first of all.

Reconstruction of the Miller's Workshop

There's a pretty little walk along the side of the mill pool where you can watch Grey Wagtails which nest close by.

The Miller's Garden

The Organ Grinder was there again this year.

Model of the Mill in the small museum and shop

I left B and D enjoying tea and cake (I missed out again!!) whilst I had a look round the meadow and tree trail.

Campion and Cow Parsley in the hedgerow.

Hawthorn is flowering in every hedgerow at the moment.

There are several pools and a stream in the meadow area.

Buttercups and Yellow Flag

Cow Parsley en masse

I was recently looking at a post on a pollinator meadow in Chateau Moorhen's Blog (so sorry I can't insert links on the basic blogger I use but please see a link to her blog under "My Blog List" on the right) where she had posted a photo which she had taken using Intentional Camera Movement where you use a slow shutter speed and move the camera as you take the picture to create an artistic effect. I've tried this before with fireworks but not with flowers and Cow Parsley seemed a good subject.

Clumps of Wild Garlic were flowering by the stream.

Buttercup Meadow

I bought a few plants home with me - Sweet Woodruff (trying to find a nice shady place for it in our garden) and Veronica gentianoides. If I can find room I might put them both in the rockery.

Apologies for smudges in the top right hand corner of some of the photos - I had forgotten to clean the lens after it covered with raindrops at Bakewell!!



I've had a bit of a bad back this week :( but if its better hoping to go to a rather promising looking butterfly reserve in the next few days. In fact, I'm off now to try and learn some of the basic controls on the Canon bridge!!

New Hall Mill Open Day

D and I went along to a New Hall Mill Open Day at Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, on Bank Holiday Monday. A place we've never visited before and I am so glad we made the effort even though the weather was poor with rain at times.

Lovely to see a "field of gold" as we arrived.

This mill is one of only two surviving water mills in the Birmingham area - the other is Sarehole Mill which I also visited recently. The present mill, which is a Grade 2 listed building, dates from the eighteenth century although a mill has been on the site since the sixteenth century.

The mill was restored to full working order in the 1970's. It is privately owned and managed by the New Hall Water Mill Preservation Trust.

Organ Grinder

The Mill and Millpool - we saw a pair of Grey Wagtails around the pool.

We had a look round the Miller's Garden which included a vegetable and cottage garden.

Chive flowers were attracting bumble bees -

Early Bumble Bee (male)

We had a look round the inside of the mill - the mill machinery has been fully restored and operates on Open Days to produce stone ground whole meal flour (and yes, I bought home a bag!)

The Ground/Machinery/Meal Floor

1st Floor - the Stone Floor

Garner Floor

Miller's Workshop

There was a lovely model of the Mill in an Exhibition area

The grounds of the Mill include a Tree Trail and Wildflower meadow - a great place to visit with children

Yellow Rattle

Ox-eye Daisy

Small Tortoiseshell

I would have liked to have taken more photos of the tree trail and wildflowers but the camera card was nearly full. I do have another card but I'd left it at home :(

I bought a postcard showing a photo of the mill in 1904 - one of these days I will learn to keep my horizontals level!!!

We finished off in the tearoom - tea and cake. In my case Carrot cake and it was as delicious as it looked.

I also bought a couple of plants - Persicaria and Borage - both great plants for attracting bees and pollinators.


If you live anywhere near the mill it is well worth a visit - details of Open Days can be found on their website at www.newhallmill.org.uk.


Thanks to Graham for tipping me off on what a great place it is to visit (especially the cake information) :)