Site overview

Foster's Mill is a working tower corn mill at Swaffham Prior. Built in 1857 by the Soham millwrights Fysons, it stands on the site of an earlier post mill and is built of brick with an internal clunch lining. The four-storey tower has an ogee cap, four double-sided patent sails, and two pairs of French Burr stones.

The Foster family worked the mill throughout its commercial life until 1946, after which it was mothballed. The mill was rescued in 1970 and restoration returned it to grinding condition in the early 1990s. It now works daily, milling locally grown organic wheat, rye, and spelt as Prior's Flour.

Map

Map markers and directions links are provided for location reference only and do not indicate public access or permission to enter a site.
No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.

History

Foster's Mill is the tower corn mill on Mill Hill at Swaffham Prior. It was built in 1857 by Fysons of Soham, local millwrights whose work is closely associated with the Cambridgeshire mill landscape. The mill replaced or succeeded an earlier post mill on the same site, giving Mill Hill a long association with wind-powered milling.

The mill is built as a four-storey tower, with a brick outer skin and internal clunch lining. Its working equipment includes an ogee cap, four double-sided patent sails, and two pairs of French Burr stones. The building was designed for corn milling, and its continuing use as a stoneground flour mill preserves the technical purpose for which it was built.

The Foster family worked the mill throughout its commercial working life. Milling ceased in 1946, after which the mill was mothballed rather than immediately demolished or converted. It was rescued in 1970, beginning a long restoration process that returned it to grinding condition in 1991 or 1992. Jonathan Cook bought the mill in 1998, and the mill later became associated with the Prior's Flour range of organic stoneground flours. Foster's Mill now survives as a working wind-powered corn mill, one of the strongest survivals of Swaffham Prior's paired windmill landmark.

Timeline

1857

Tower mill built

Foster's Mill was built by Fysons of Soham on the site of an earlier post mill.
1933

Working mill drawn

A 1933 drawing by Karl Wood noted that Foster's Mill was working at that time.
1946

Commercial working ceased

The Foster family worked the mill until 1946, after which it was mothballed.
1970

Mill rescued

The mill was rescued in 1970 and restoration work began.
1991–1992

Grinding restored

Restoration returned the tower mill to grinding condition in the early 1990s.
1998

New ownership

Jonathan Cook bought the mill in 1998 and continued its use as a working organic flour mill.

Sources and records

Mills Archive site record
Traditional Cornmillers Guild entry
Windmill World site entry
Foster's Mill official website
List of windmills in Cambridgeshire