Little Salkeld Watermill

The miller opens the sluices that feed the wheel from inside the mill, using a series of pulleys. The sluice gates divert the water to run over the wheel.

The water from the race runs down the mill "laid" or chute and fills the buckets of the waterwheel. Eventually there is sufficient weight of water in the buckets to start the wheel turning. It keeps turning until the water is diverted away from the wheel.

The main wheel is 12' in diameter, its buckets are 4' 9'' wide and when the wheel is fully turning it develops up to 10 horsepower.

When the buckets empty at the bottom of the wheel the water runs away under the millhouse and back into the beck.

As the wheel turns it drives a shaft that goes right through the wall into the mill ...