Crabble Corn Mill

About the museum

Crabble Corn Mill stands in the village of River, about one and a half miles north-west of Dover. A mill has stood on the site since at least 1227, when Henry III confirmed a charter for St Radigund’s Abbey on the hill above the village. The present mill was built in 1812 next to an older mill, which was later demolished to make room for storage; this space is now the ground-floor exhibition area and tea room.

The mill was rescued from demolition and opened to the public in 1990 by the Crabble Corn Mill Trust, a charity that owns and runs it. It is now the only working watermill in Kent and one of the most complete Georgian watermills in Europe. In 1999 it won the President’s Award of the Association for Industrial Archaeology.

Six floors of machinery and exhibits show how wheat becomes flour, and the mill produces stone-ground wholemeal flour and bread mixes that are sold on site. Life-size models show working life at the mill. The mill is run entirely by volunteers and relies on visitors, events and donations.

Highlights

• Working Georgian watermill built in 1812
• Six floors of milling machinery and exhibits
• Stone-ground wholemeal flour made and sold on site
• Life-size models of working life at the mill
• Tea room with views across the millpond

Permanent exhibition

• Working watermill and milling exhibits – Six floors of machinery and exhibits showing how water power turns grain into flour, with life-size models of working life at the mill.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Crabble Corn Mill Trust (registered charity 297098)

Admission & discounts

Prices above are for self-guided tours, which include the Wheels of Time exhibits. School groups pay £3.50 per pupil, with one supervising adult free per ten pupils. There is no admission charge to the café. Under the Wheels of Time scheme for children aged 5 to 11, normal admission charges apply.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The website does not publish accessibility details. Toilets and a cloakroom are available inside for school groups.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The mill takes part in the Wheels of Time scheme for children aged 5 to 11, runs school visits with a downloadable teachers’ resource book, and holds seasonal family events such as Breakfast with Santa and Santa’s Grotto. Pupils can grind flour by hand and touch samples of each stage of the process.

Getting there & parking

From Dover town follow signs for Crabble, River, Temple Ewell and Lydden, then take the second turning on the right into Lower Road; the mill is about 300 metres along on the right.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The licensed tea room serves snacks, light lunches and cream teas and has views over the millpond; it also has a bar. Wholemeal flour and bread mixes made at the mill are sold on site. There is a picnic area in the gardens next to the mill.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 60 guests.

The tea room seats up to 60 people and has a licensed bar; it is offered for birthdays, christenings, weddings, wakes, corporate hospitality and club meetings, with food from buffets to a four-course banquet.

Plan your visit