Redbournbury Watermill & Bakery

Story

Redbournbury Mill, originally a water-driven flour mill, lies on the River Ver in the hamlet of Redbournbury between St Albans and Redbourn in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.One of its claims to fame is that it was run for much of the 20th century by Ivy Hawkins (1897-1987), claimed to be England's last woman commercial miller. In 1956 she tried a repair to the waterwheel by herself, and was trapped when it started to rotate. She was rescued without serious injury.Today, after a ten-year restoration project, the mill is working again and producing organic flour and a wide variety of breads that are sold at the mill and in local shops and markets (including Harpenden farmers market), and are used by local restaurants.Adjacent to the mill are two deep fords which can be crossed by car with care, allowing a road connection between the A5 and A6 near Harpenden. The fords are occasionally used as part of the route on local road rallies because of their tricky nature; following the wrong line can drop you into much deeper water without warning.