t's National Mills Day on Sunday.>

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Milling around

It's National Mills Day on Sunday. Go to Chalgrove between 2pm and 5pm in the afternoon and you can see an old water mill in full working order, milling flour as it did in the old days. An enthusiast with £395,000 can come away with a lasting memento - the mill and the listed mill house that goes with it are on the market through the Watlington office of Chancellors.

The Oxfordshire village of Chalgrove - like Wycombe - has always been noted for its mills. In 1086 the five in Chalgrove mentioned in The Domesday survey were valued at 60 shillings (£3)

By 1336, two water mills in the manor of squire Edmund Bereford in the village were worth 73s 4d - just over £3.60. Whatever they ground out served the needs of the court house opposite. The original mill in Mill Lane was built with mid-shot mill wheel but in 1871 it was modernised and converted to an overshot wheel. The date is chiselled into the brickwork on the north wall. The mill was operated by the Nixey family from 1900 until the late 1940s. Eventually the farmers switched to electricity to do their milling and the old water wheel fell into disrepair. It has now been restored by builder Robert Gee who will be in charge of operations on Sunday along with a band of helpers.

The oldest part of the mill house dates from the sixteenth century. It has been sensitively restored to create a stunning country home while preserving the original features for posterity. There are three reception rooms, fitted kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The gardens with the mill stream and mill race extend to more than half an acre.

Other mills open on Sunday afternoon - but not for sale - include the partially restored Pann Mill on the A40 by The Rye at High Wycombe contact (01494) 523968, Lacey Green Windmill (01844) 343560, Quainton Mill (01296)655348 and Ford End Water Mill at Ivinghoe where the restoration group will be milling from 3-5pm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.