Skellow Mill

At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the manors of both Burghwallis and Skellow were under one Lord, William Pictavus.  A mill would have been necessary for the grinding of corn and it seem logical for the convenience of all, any mill would have been sited on the stream about equidistant from the two villages.

A mill was in existence in the 12th Century, being mentioned in an inventory of 1185 made for Geoffrey Stephen, Master of the Order of Templars. One way of donating money to the Knights Templars for the Crusades was to give them property that was then rented back from them. It was recorded on 2nd March 1307 that 'Richard de Waleis pays a yearly rent of 15s. for a watermill at Burghen-Walleis, given by his ancestors to the House of Templars at Templehurst'.

It seems therefore that a mill has been situated on or about the present site for over 800 years.

At a later date when the manors came under different ownership, the mill was retained in the interest of Burghwallis and the mill and the millpond are now situated in a small tongue projecting from the fairly regular outline of the present Burghwallis parish boundary.

Skellow Mill Pond, shown on the lower photo, was once commonly known as 'Tony's Pond' because of the solitary swan that resided there.
(Protective fences and willow trees now hide this beautiful scene).