About us

The Mills Archive is a permanent repository for the documentary and photographic records of traditional and contemporary mills and milling, as well as similar structures dependent on traditional power sources. It makes that material freely available for public inspection and use in research and learning.

The Mills Archive is one of the world’s great mill collections. It has rescued over 3 million documents and images that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill site. It is an Aladdin’s cave filled with memories and free to users. The collections show the rich and diverse crafts, buildings, machinery, equipment and people involved with mills in the UK and around the world.

We believe in the cultural and educational values of mills and historic power sources and wish to turn that into practical support. We extend a warm welcome to family, local, national and international historians, as well as to those who simply want to find out more about our milling heritage.

AIMS AND INTENTIONS

To preserve and protect records of milling heritage, to make them freely available to the public and to become the national centre of excellence for learning, understanding and research…

GOVERNANCE

The Archive is managed by The Mills Archive Trust…

THE WORK OF THE ARCHIVE

The Mills Archive preserves and provides access to information and records about traditional and contemporary mills and milling.  It was set up in response to an expressed need to preserve…

COLLECTIONS POLICY

The Mills Archive focuses on but is not wholly restricted to traditional mills and milling and the uses of historic power sources. We seek and acquire relevant historical and contemporary records…