Claythorpe Water Mill & Wild Fowl Gardens

We spent ages trying to find this place. not well advertised. It was up for sale maybe still is. (still open though)
It turned out not to be the one we were thinking of but it was a delightful suprise.
Nestling at the tip of the Lincolnshire Wolds in a picture postcard setting is Claythorpe Watermill & Wildfowl Gardens. it is Open daily from March until the end of October and is quite enchanting even though it was pouring with rain when we went.
Over five hundred birds wandering freely you really feel a part of their environment, get close to them. They are very tame and come to you.
The Bygone Area has memorabilia of milling and agriculture, and Ye Old Bakery depicts the milling and baking side of the Mills history which ceased in the 1970’s.
or you can choose to sample the catering areas with home fare on offer, delicious cakes and cream teas.
The little gift shop and country fare haven is where you can purchase delicious homemade jams, local ice cream and much more.
Not only can you visit this little paradise, you can stay here. Millers Cottage sleeps four and is available for weekly lets and short breaks in early and late season.
A watermill has been on the site since the Doomsday Book and the current mill was built circa 1721. Claythorpe Watermill sits on the River the Great Eau and a smallbeck also meanders into the Mill Pond. The mill was famous for its bread which was why the two large chimneys were added to the statuesque buildings and it was sent throughout the County by means of the local Claythorpe station which was just a minute away. However when Beeching axed many of the rural railways in the 60’s this stopped and the last Miller stopped working here in the 70’s. During its history the mill survived three severe fires and during one at the turn of the last century it lost its waterwheel which was replaced by a turbine, which is believed to be the only remaining one in Lincolnshire and to be quite rare.
The mill workings are sympathetically displayed to visitors with the use of mannequins and glass panels although not in use anymore. In the early 80’s the mill was saved from dereliction and subsequently became Grade II Listed. The existing business of a Wildfowl Gardens/​Visitor Centre was established in 1988. This family-​run business has subsequently become one of the most renowned tourist attractions in this area of Lincolnshire which is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. Nestling at the tip of the Lincolnshire Wolds.
Focused around the Mill Building the idyllic riverside grounds of approximately 3 acres are home to hundred of birds including exotic waterfowl, cranes, storks and ibis, flamigos, ducks, geese and swans, pure breeds of poultry, pheasants and peacocks, owls, monkeys, otters and wallabies and much more. In the lovely chalk stream of the Mill Pond are tame trout which can be fed.
A nice day or afternoon out.