Mill

The old flour mill stands at the bottom of my road. Back in the day it was one of three employers in the village: the mill; the coal mine; and the railway. 

The latter two are long gone, but the mill is still operating, albeit just for stock feed these days and on a much smaller scale than in its heyday. 

Today there are around 25 permanent residents in the village. A hundred years ago it was more than 10 times that number and the place supported a school, two churches, two pubs, and a number of shops.

The mine closed because the quality of the coal was too poor for profit. The mill reduced its output thanks to several factors: lack of local coal to power it; competition from other mills; and a decrease in wheat production locally. This then resulted in the railway closing. And the village gradually lost its population...

I'm happy it's a quiet backwater now: much more my style. But I love chatting to proper locals and hearing their tales about times past.