Working Medieval Gristmill

Hi everyone and thank you for taking the time to check out my build of a working medieval gristmill using Power Functions to allow the wheel to turn and the stones to move inside the building. I have always enjoyed building in the medieval/castle theme and I have recently wanted to expand my range and technical abilities to include moving parts. This was the perfect project to incorporate both areas!

Gristmills were used in medieval times to grind wheat into flour for baking bread or other food. They used the power of water in this case (also used wind power) to power their mechanisms as there was no electricity and man power could only do so much. It was still back breaking work as workers had to harvest the wheat using scythes (which I have included this scene as well), and then carry bundles to the top floor of the mill. The wheat would then be dropped down an opening and would land on the bed rock, where it would be crushed under the rotating runner stone on the wall. The water wheel is what would turn the runner stone. The flour would filter out the bottom, and then it would be bagged and taken to the market or bakery.

I have completed this scene with the river, a few trees and animals. There is a small shed off to the left that holds tools such as scythes and pitchforks and of course the farmland where the grain is grown and harvested. The gristmill itself has a removeable roof as well as two removeable floors to see the full interior including the power functions under the main floor.

This would make an excellent choice for LEGO IDEAS because it tells a story of history with of course the fun Lego element. We have not seen enough of the medieval theme lately and this would make an excellent addition to any collection. The added functionality of the water wheel and working interior to the gristmill completes this design as it allows builders of all ages to understand the mechanics of gears/mechanisms associated with medieval machines.