Stretton Watermill is a working watermill

Watermill

A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...

 in Stretton, Cheshire

Cheshire

Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, which stands by Carden Brook. The mill is a grade II* listed building and the mill machinery is considered to be of national importance.

History

The site has been used for milling since the middle of the 14th century. The present mill building dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, and was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries. The adjacent stables date from the 19th century. Commercial production of flour ceased in 1959 on the retirement of the last miller. The mill machinery was restored by Cyril Boucher in 1967, with partial funding from the Science Museum, and the site was opened as a working museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 by Cheshire County Council

Cheshire County Council

Cheshire County Council was a County Council, of the second highest level of United Kingdom Government for the residents of Cheshire. Founded in 1889, it ceased to exist on 1 April 2009, when it and the district councils in Cheshire were replaced by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and...

. It is now operated by Cheshire West and Chester Council

Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...

.

Museum

Stretton Watermill is open to the public in April–September for a fee of £2 adults /£0.75 children (2010). Tours include a demonstration of the working of the mill. The adjacent stables house an exhibition. The mill pond is a home to water birds, dragonflies and other forms of wildlife. Facilities include a gift shop, car park, accessible toilet and a picnic area.

The mill is approached from the A534 by turning off that road at the Cock O'Barton pub and taking first left after about 800 m.