Carew Tidal Mill

Carew is the only restored Tidal Mill in Wales and one of only five left in Britain. 

The earliest record of a mill at Carew dates to 1542 when it was leased for £20 by John Signett. A later record, from 1588, shows the mill was leased for £10 per year to John Bartlett. It is not certain whether this mill was driven by tidal power but it was named as "le french mills" - a name which is still used today.

The causeway, which dams the Carew inlet to make a millpond and allows tidal power to be used, is not mentioned until 1615 when Sir John Carew is recorded as restoring its walls and sluice gates. If the causeway was being repaired at this time, then it must have been built some time earlier.

The present mill dates from the early 19th century - the north wheel is inscribed with the date 1801 - and was producing flour until 1937.

Sustainable energy

As the tide comes in the sea water pushes the sluice gates open and floods in to fill the 23 acre millpond. Once high tide is reached and the tide starts to turn, the weight of the water against the sluice gates closes them and the water is trapped in the millpond.

In times past the miller would have had to wait for the tide to go out sufficiently on the seaward side of the causeway to allow the millwheels to turn. On a high tide it was sometimes possible to run the mill from the water stored in the millpond for seven hours.

Unsociable hours

Although the tide miller was assured of two predictable tides and therefore, two predictable periods of work each day, the times of the tides would change each day. This means that a tide miller would often be working very unsociable hours.