Long History

Short History

CD & Booklet

Following the very successful ten-year restoration project to save the ancient Town Mill and return it to working order, the Town Mill Trustees sought to provide a series of interesting and authoritative books about the history of the mill and its operations for the benefit of the general public, mill visitors, schools and researchers.

With the aid of grants from the Local Heritage Initiative and the G F Eyre Charitable Trust, a Town Mill History Project was started in 2003, under the skilled and dedicated leadership of Bob Eliot. a Town Mill Trustee. The project aimed to research and develop history books about the mill as well as an oral history of the mill. These publications were completed and published in 2005 by a small group of experienced professionals, assisted by a large number of mill volunteers. The oral history was produced entirely by mill volunteers. Find out more about all these publications on the rest of this page. 

2006 Publications Awards

The Town Mill Trustees are delighted to announce that the Town Mill was awarded the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) Publication Award for 2006 as:
 

 The Outstanding Winner

For its two history books -

'The Town Mill, Lyme Regis: Archaeology and History AD 1340-2000'

and

 'A Thousand Years of Milling - The Town Mill, Lyme Regis'

The AIA complimented the History Project Team on the 'twin publications, both reproduced to a high standard and demonstrating clearly what can be achieved by such bodies of enthusiasts.'

The AIA is the national organisation for people who share an interest in Britain's industrial past. It brings together people who are researching, recording, preserving and presenting the great variety of this country's industrial heritage. The AIA also works with other amenity groups to protect Britain's heritage and represent Britain on the International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage.

Find out more about the AIA on their own website at: www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk

Development of the mill history books was led by a team of three specialist professionals - Jo Draper, historian, Alan Graham, archaeologist and Martin Watts, millwright. All have been actively involved with the Town Mill since the 1990's, when action to save the derelict mill began. They were ably assisted by a band of mill volunteers.

Additionally, another group of mill volunteers worked on the production of the oral history of the mill on CD, with an accompanying booklet. Volunteer interviewers were trained by Roger Crisp, a BBC reporter and the booklet was written and edited by Bridget Wilkins.

Finally, a further group of mill volunteers from the Mill Shop produced the very first mill publication - the Town Mill Recipe Book - to show how our stone ground wholemeal flour can be used to advantage.

During the restoration of the Town Mill in the late 1990s, a complete study of the fabric of the building and its working parts was carried out. This study, together with evidence from archaeological excavation and documentary research, forms the basis of this book, which describes the development and use of the mill from its documented origins in the fourteenth century to its eventual redundancy in the early part of the twentieth century. 

During peer assessment of the book prior to publication, a group of academic readers concluded that the Town Mill Archaeology and History book 'is a work of major significance to industrial archaeologists and historians and those interested in watermill history and functioning' - a great tribute to the three authors and the mill volunteers who assisted in its production.

This beautifully produced book provides the definitive history of the mill and is the primary source document for research into the history, architecture and working of the mill over its long life. Published in 2005 (ISBN 0-9551576-0-9), it comprises 116 pages, including 31 figures and 20 plates. Published in softback in A4 size, it is available from the Town Mill Shop at £9.95, or by post (plus £2 p&p for UK/Europe; £4.75 p&p for Rest of World) from the address at the bottom of this page.

This is the shorter history of the Town Mill, owned for most of its life by the Borough. Domesday Book records the existence of a mill at Lyme in 1086, so this mill site could be a thousand years old.

The remarkable survival of a series of Borough records dating from the seventeenth century provides a fascinating insight into the history and development of the last working flour mill in Lyme Regis and into the lives of the people who worked and used the mill over ten centuries.  

This book tells the story of the Town Mill from its origins to the present day and guides you through the restored working flour mill, describing its machinery and the grinding of grain.

'A thousand years of milling' has 35 pages in A5 softback format.  Published in 2005 (ISBN 0-9551576-1-7), it contains about 7,000 words and has been profusely illustrated with current and archival photos, drawings and maps. It is available from the Town Mill Shop at £3.95, or by post (plus £1 p&p for UK/Europe; £1.75 p&p for Rest of World) from the address at the bottom of this page.

... cheaper to re-roof than demolish

An oral history of the Town Mill, Lyme Regis

Edited by Bridget Wilkins

This Oral History CD and Booklet provides a fascinating insight into how local people remember the Town Mill in the early part of the twentieth century. Its title '... cheaper to re-roof than demolish' reflects one of the early arguments put forward in the fight to save the derelict mill.

The carefully edited CD is supported by an explanatory booklet, with ten short sections, reflecting the way separate topics are covered on the CD.  Photos, both current and archival, are combined with short biographies of interviewees, an introduction, a capsule history of the Mill and listing of tracks and photos with short verbatim selections from the CD.

The softback booklet is about A5 size, with 34 pages, plus CD. It is available from the Town Mill Shop at £4.95, or by post (plus £1.50 p&p for UK/Europe; £2.25 p&p for Rest of World) from the address at the bottom of this page.

The Town Mill
Mill Lane, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3PU, England
Tel: 01297 443579     e-mail info@townmill.org.uk