Skidby Mill
Four-sailed tower mill near Beverley with the Museum of East Riding Rural Life in its original outbuildings, a café and a children's play area.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Skidby Mill is a four-sailed windmill on a hill near Beverley, built in 1821. It stopped commercial grinding in the 1960s and has been described as the last workable windmill in the East Riding. Unlike most surviving mills in the UK it still has all of its original outbuildings around the courtyard.
The converted outbuildings house the Museum of East Riding Rural Life. The Agriculture Gallery shows farm equipment, including the Alex West and Norman Creaser collections of market gardening tools and models, and the Village Life Gallery uses local people's memories to show life in East Riding villages. A display on the flour-bagging floor describes the mill's restoration between 2008 and 2010.
The sails were removed in 2019 for repairs and the mill closed for restoration in 2020. Further rot was found in the cap support beam in 2024 and the beam was replaced in 2025. The sails were returned in June 2026 and stay stationary, because the mill will not return to working order. The mill and museum are run by East Riding Museums, part of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Highlights
- Four-sailed tower mill of 1821 with its original courtyard outbuildings
- Agriculture Gallery with market gardening tools and models
- Village Life Gallery with local memories
- Miller's garden, wildlife meadow and children's play equipment
Permanent exhibitions
- Agriculture Gallery – Farm equipment, including the Alex West and Norman Creaser collections of market gardening tools and models.
- Village Life Gallery – Life in East Riding villages, shown through the memories and experiences of local people.
- Founded
- 1980
- Operated by
- East Riding Museums (East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £2.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £1.50Concessions |
| Children & teens | £1.25free up to age 4 · Children over 5; under-5s are free. |
Prices are those listed by East Riding Museums.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- 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
Visitors with limited mobility can be dropped off at the top entrance road. A wheelchair can be borrowed at reception when the museum is open, and a lift serves the education room. The mill tower and the flour-bagging area are not accessible to wheelchairs and prams. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the mill and museum.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Playground / play area
Children under 5 can play with farm-themed toys and borrow an Explorer Kit. A "5 Things to do" activity earns a sticker, and children can look for mice hidden around the museum or try puzzles. Children's play equipment stands next to a wildlife meadow. The tower and flour-bagging area are not accessible to prams.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking · 100 m to the entrance
Free car park about 100 m from the mill. There is no vehicle access to the mill courtyard.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Wi-Fi
Sails Cafe in the courtyard is independently run and serves freshly prepared food with a children's menu; booking is advisable. Free Wi-Fi and toilets are listed as facilities, and the museum is breastfeeding friendly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
