Our purpose
To connect and support people and organisations who preserve historic mills, millwrighting skills and milling culture for future generations. We introduce people to historical and technical information, fresh ideas for progress, and offer a forum for inspiration on mill-related topics. We host online meetings and hope to facilitate in-person events. The North UK Mills Group evolved from the 2022 Mills Weekend conference in Perth.

What is a Mill?
A building in which a substance is or was crushed, ground, spun, rolled, sawn or shaped by rotative power. The power source is or was water, wind, animal or steam, or a combination of these. There are distinctive elements, such as kilns, to mills in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the northern counties of England, our main area of focus.

Who is this for?
Anyone interested in or working with a mill structure, of any kind and in any condition. Of great interest to this network is machinery crafted by millwrights or millers, with evidence wholly or partially in situ, working or potentially workable. Productive mills, visitor attractions, mills converted to other uses – all welcome!

Join our January meeting to discuss all things mills!

Future dates: 2nd April 2025, 7th October 2025

These free, online meetings are for anyone with an interest in mill heritage, owners or operators of commercial or converted historic mill buildings and/or those of us with a full-time role in developing and/or running mills.

The authority on Mill buildings across the UK, visit the SPAB Mills Section pages to access advice and guidance, the Mill Repair Fund, information about the National Mills weekend, the Millwrights directory –  and more!

Created by Sebastian Graham, the purpose of this site is to make a record of the mills and industry that played a vital role in the history of Ulster and Northern Ireland.

“Mills of Northern Ireland aims to put our industrial heritage back on the map. How is this being achieved? Through the use of the Valuation Records, Ordnance Survey Map Records and local information.”

Sebastian is keen for input from anyone who has knowledge, stories or pictures of mills in this area.

Created by the National Library of Scotland, with Historic Environment Scotland, Arts & Humanities Research Council and the University of Glasgow.

An excellent resource, the Scottish water mills website combines records from the GB1900 Gazetteer and Canmore, as well as first-hand research based on Ordnance Survey first and second edition mapping. It provides options to query and filter the mill records by name, mill type, date, and related features.

There’s also a brief overview of the types of mill that make up Scotland’s industrial heritage.

“Research on the potential for the reuse of historic hydropower sites, such as mills and weirs, for the generation of hydropower in Scotland is limited, with only two previous studies. …. This study aims to determine what potential exists for re-use of mill sites as hydropower generators in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland, and how they may be used to benefit local communities.”

Have a read of Alasdair Bachell’s 2022 doctorate thesis to find out more!

Image credit: Keathbank, Graeme Berry