Watermills (Shire Library)

By Martin Watts

Watermills were once commonplace but, because of their domestic scale and their often picturesque, waterside locations, many have now lost their waterwheels and machinery and the buildings have been converted to other uses. Their place in the townscapes and countryside of Britain is a significant one, however, as each mill required its own water supply, which usually had a noticeable effect on its immediate surroundings. Water power has been in use for over two thousand years, initially for grinding grain and pumping water, and later for driving processing machinery for a wide variety of industries, such as ironworking and textiles. Understanding the history and development of watermills as working buildings thus forms an important aspect of a wider appreciation of the built environment and the use of natural sources of power. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Since 1988 Martin Watts has worked as a traditional millwright and consultant, his work covering many aspects of the repair, maintenance, conservation and interpretation of historic mills and their machinery. Other books for Shire by this author: Water and Wind Power Windmills

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0747806543
• ISBN13: 9780747806547
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Shire Publications
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.7" x 8.3"