The water wheel weighs over two tonnes yet can be turned from inside the Mill using just two fingers.

The miller's stream originates in the Brendon Hills and is the same stream that provided the water when the wheel last turned fifty years ago, it is aptly called the Back stream !

Amongst the trades on display are the cooper's and saddler's shops, the blacksmith's shop and the Victorian kitchen, as well as a thatching display. The wheelwight's shop has been transported from Devon and preserved exactly as it was left the day the owner shut up shop for the last time. Bishops Lydeard Mill has been painstakingly and precisely restored by the Back Family over many years. The Mill and the attached Mill House have been cited as places of historical interest and given a Grade 2 conservation listing. The aim of the project was to preserve a small piece of history in the picturesque village of Bishops Lydeard whilst also helping to shape the future into a better one for less fortunate people. Five charities receive all the proceeds and donations raised by patrons of the mill.

With authentic smells, a life-like wax model and a glowing furnace, the Blacksmith's forge exudes a real aura of bygone times; just mind your finger when the hammer falls!

If you've had fun on your family day out to Bishops Lydeard Mill, tell us about it your visit, so other people will know it's a great place to go as well.

http://www.bishopslydeardmill.co.uk/