Quarrying reveals medieval mill remains

EXTREMELY rare remains of a medieval corn mill have been uncovered during excavations at Lafarge Redland Aggregates' Hemington Quarry, by the river Trent, on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border.

Dating back to around the 12th Century, the find is said to be of national significance as it is only the second of its kind ever discovered. The first was found in 1985 on the same stretch of river.

Measuring more than 40m long and up to 10m wide, the visible structure is the remains of a dam designed to create a head of water to drive a waterwheel. It comprises a bank of large rocks, heavy timber piles and a well-preserved basket for catching silver eels.

Quarry manager Ian Smith said: 'It is standard procedure for somebody to be employed to observe excavation work and identify potential archaeology at sites of this type. To make a discovery of this size and importance is quite amazing and we're as keen as the archaeologists to find out what we can about the site.'

Lynden Cooper of Leicester University's Archaeological Services Department said: 'The normal means of looking for remains, such as aerial observation and geophysics, do not work for riverbeds because of the density of the earth, so we rely on activities such as quarrying to uncover these archaeological sites.'

Research at the site has been made possible thanks to a significant donation from the landowner. Once enough information has been gathered the remains will be covered over to preserve them for future generations.