Clyston Mill on the Killerton estate
National Trust, Clyston Mill, Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, EX5 3DX
Clyston Mill, sited on the River Clyst in the village of Broadclyst, is part of the Killerton Estate. In 1086 a mill was recorded at Clistona in the Domesday Book. In Elizabethan times, there were water griste (corn) milles and one olde Mille House in the parish of Broadeclyst. In 1661 the Manor of Clyston included three mills. It seems likely that the present Clyston Mill was rebuilt in the first decade of the nineteenth century. In 1808 the watermill was described as having three pairs of stones, a bolting mill and a wire machine for dividing and cleaning the bran and a new built dwelling house. By 1859 the mill was not working for about one third of the year because of low water and a steam engine was installed. The current mill machinery probably dates from this time. The mill ground corn into the 1930s and pumped water into the 1940s. The low water levels that caused a problem in 1859 are still experienced today. In 2001 a new engine, powered by electricity, was fitted to enable the mill to grind corn again. On your visit, you can have a go at grinding grain using a hand powered quern, test the ingenuity of the pulley system, dress up and imagine the life of a miller's apprentice.
Timings & Tours
- Friday 06 September:
- 1300-1600
- Saturday 07 September:
- 1300-1600
- Sunday 08 September:
- 1300-1600
- Monday 09 September:
- 1300-1600
- Friday 13 September:
- 1300-1600
- Saturday 14 September:
- 1300-1600
- Sunday 15 September:
- 1300-1600
Location & directions
National Trust, Clyston Mill, Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, EX5 3DX
- Directions:
- For more information visit, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/clyston-mill
- Contact on day:
- Jamie Jones
- Telephone number:
- +441392883145
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
There are accessible toilets in the village car park. There is one toilet on-site, which is accessed via a slightly uneven gravelled path. The upper floors of the mill are not accessible for wheelechairs, but the waterwheel can be viewed from the ground floor. This is a historic mill. The stairs are narrow, steep, and ladder-like in some places. There are low beams, especially as you climb the stairs, machinery and uneven floors.
Additional information
Given the nature of the building, we request that children be supervised at all times. Volunteers will be available to lead tours of the mill, if desired. No booking needed. Please park in the car park in Broadclyst village and follow signs through the churchyard to the mill.
