Heatherslaw Corn Mill

About the museum

Corn has been ground at Heatherslaw on the River Till for more than 700 years. The first written record dates from 1291, and a document of 1306 mentions a water mill here that belonged to a local family. The mill later formed part of the estate of Ford Castle and kept working through the troubled centuries of Border conflict, although it left almost no written trace for about four hundred years.

In 1768 Sir John Hussey Delaval bought the land at Heatherslaw and had the building turned into a double mill, with two complete mills under one roof. The present three-storey building took its shape around 1830, after the Waterford family had inherited the estate. The wheels were repositioned, the interior was divided into two equal mills and new machinery was designed. The Black family ran the mill for most of the nineteenth century, and the diaries of the miller John Black survive.

An agricultural depression from the 1880s cut the mill's trade. Milling stopped in 1949 and the empty buildings fell into disrepair after 1957. A charitable trust was founded in 1972 to restore the mill and run it as a working museum, and it opened to the public in 1975. Today the Upper Mill is back in working order, the Lower Mill shows the stages of milling that are normally hidden, and flour ground on site is sold in the mill shop. The building is Grade II listed.

Highlights

• Working waterwheel driven by the River Till (when river levels allow)
• Restored Upper Mill and a Lower Mill showing the hidden stages of milling
• Stone-ground wholemeal, white, rye and spelt flour sold in the mill shop
• Mill with more than 700 years of recorded history
• Family trails and dressing-up activities

Permanent exhibition

• Working corn mill – The restored Upper Mill grinds grain by water power, while the Lower Mill explains the parts of milling that normally happen out of sight.

Founded

1975

Operated by

Heatherslaw Mill Trust

Admission & discounts

The mill offered free admission during June, July and August 2026.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• 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 mill is reached by stairs and is not accessible to wheelchair users.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Families can follow a mouse trail, dress up in Victorian costumes and learn how the miller's clock works. The mill can be combined with a ride on the nearby Heatherslaw Light Railway.

Getting there & parking

The mill stands at Heatherslaw near Cornhill-on-Tweed and can be combined with a ride on the Heatherslaw Light Railway. The website gives no details of parking or bus services.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Freshly ground flour is sold in the Corn Mill Gift Shop. A cafe serving home-made cake is next door.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit