Eling Experience

About the museum

A mill at Eling is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest surviving reference to milling on the creek. The manor and mill changed hands several times over the centuries, and from 1382 until 1975 the mill belonged to Winchester College, which leased it out. The present Grade II* listed building dates from the late 18th century, when the mill and its bridge were rebuilt after storms and floods.

In 1892 the old machinery was replaced with cast iron Poncelet wheels. The machinery broke down in the 1930s and 1940s and milling stopped in 1946. New Forest District Council bought the mill in 1975 and began restoring it, and in 1980 the Eling Tide Mill Trust opened it as a working museum. One of the two original waterwheels and one of the four sets of millstones have been restored, and the unrestored stones can still be seen in place.

Since 2009 the mill, the neighbouring heritage centre, the shoreline walks and the Bartley Water paths have been run together as the Eling Experience by Totton and Eling Town Council. The wheel only turns when the tide has dropped far enough, so milling times follow the tide.

Highlights

• Working tide mill that grinds flour around low water
• Discovery Room with interactive models and hand querns
• Visitor centre with café; café and riverside walks are free to enter
• Walks along Eling Creek and to Goatee Beach
• Grade II* listed mill building

Founded

1980

Operated by

Totton and Eling Town Council

Admission & discounts

Prices shown are the winter and weekend admission to the tide mill and Discovery Room. The café and the riverside walks are free. A local residents membership offer is available.

Accessibility

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

The visitor centre with the café, Discovery Room and toilets is step-free, and the walks and picnic area suit wheelchairs and pushchairs. The lift to the ground floor of the mill is currently out of order, so visitors who need it should call ahead. The mill's first and second floors can only be reached by stairs; live camera views of the upper floors and subtitled videos are shown on the ground floor. A hearing loop is available.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The Discovery Room has interactive models, including hand querns for grinding flour. The activity room is used for most family activities and events at selected times, and family tickets are available.

Getting there & parking

Satnav postcode SO40 9HD. Satnav may send drivers over the toll bridge, which costs £2.00 and has a two-ton weight limit. Coaches should contact the mill beforehand and approach via Eling Lane; coach parking is near the Anchor Inn. The mill is on the Forest Cycle Network.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Mill Café in the visitor centre, a gift shop and picnic spots by the mill. Dogs are welcome inside the buildings and outdoors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The activity room and group room can occasionally be hired for meetings or private use; the team can be contacted for details.

Plan your visit