[MR] (no subject)

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

O.K. I admit to being a gristmill geek. I love the inner workings of old
flour mills. Of course, here in the US we don't have any mills actually
dating from the middle ages. AFAIK, the closest we have is the Robertson
Windmill at Colonial Williamsburg, a replica English post-mill, a type that
was common in the middle ages. For a photo, see my Castles In Virginia page
at
http://isenfir.atlantia.sca.org/artsandsciences/files/CASTLES%20IN%20ATLANTIA.pdf
. But there are working mills in Britain that actually do date back to our
period of interest, and they are grinding away during the virus epidemic.

With most people stuck in their homes, Britain has experienced a boom in
home baking, causing shortages of flour in grocery stores similar to the
lack of toilet rolls. Some small historic mills that have ground flour for
the tourist and artisan baking markets are being overwhelmed with orders.

One is the Sturminster Newton Mill in Devon, which in its current form
dates from 1566. This mill was operated as a museum and tourist site, but
occasionally ground a bit of flour. Now it is back in regular production to
meet local needs:
https://weather.com/health/coronavirus/news/2020-05-12-1000-year-old-mill-resumes-production-during-pandemic
. A similar story was posted on the BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-52369075 .

The Charlecote Mill in Warwickshire has also been overwhelmed by demand.
This mill dates from the 17th century, and has been used as a set in period
films. BBC offered a fascinating brief video clip on this mill, showcasing
its inner workings:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-52447409/charlecote-mill-has-a-seven-week-backlog-of-flour-orders
.

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆