The Watermill

The Watermill was used in many countries to grind grain into flour, with over 5000 of them in use at one point in medieval England alone.

This model has a working waterwheel and mechanism inside, with two millstones and a mezzanine floor to allow the miller to load the grain into hoppers.  As with the actual watermills, the gearing allows for slow rotation of the waterwheel and fast rotation of the millstones.   I've put the roof sections on hinges to allow you to see inside, revealing the mechanism, fireplace and workbench.  There is a trough around the base of the millstones to catch the flour, and barrels for storage.

When designing this model, I mixed a few styles together from diagrams and photos I'd found, but tried to create a compact design at the same time.  Some samples showed the millstones on opposite side of the main gear, but loading the grain would have meant having a larger mezzanine floor to provide access.  I really designed it as though it was going to be used, providing handrails for safety, a fireplace to help cope with British winters, and a doorway near the millstones for easy transport of the flour.

Enjoy!