Benger Trails
8. The Mills

There was at least one water mill at Draycot in 1086, and three mills by 1344. One was on the west of the road to Stanton, and one was between Draycot House and Sutton. The last mill (the one on the Stanton Road) can be seen on the 1808 and 1839/1840 maps but was demolished in the mid 1800s. Please note that neither of these locations is publicly accessible as they are on private land, and there is no access via public footpaths to where the Mills were located.

The largest mill in the local area used to be the one at Avon Weir; it was on the fast-flowing river, compared to smaller ones on the brooks and tributaries, and would undoubtedly have been more efficient and cheaper. An old map shows that people from as far away as Kington Langley used to go to the Avon Mill. However, Manorial laws probably meant that people in Sutton Benger and Draycot Cerne had to use the small mills in Draycot, and would have been fined by the Lord of the Manor if they had used Avon.

Avon Weir is accessible via the public bridleway, off Sutton Lane next to Langley Burrell Farm.