The Historical Significance of The Water Mill

 by Jay Pasricha

 

Throughout time, water wheels have been put to use to serve a multitude of purposes. The most commonly known use was to grind grain, but this was not their only function. When combined with the proper equipment to form a mill, waterwheels were used to drive sawmills; move pumps; power lathes; forge bellows; make oils; power textile mills. There is evidence that water power has been used since approximately 300 b.c.e. in ancient Egypt. It has been suggested that this technology was adapted from that of the Persians or Chinese. 

The waterwheel is one of the oldest forms of power generation and is the first instance of power being generated without the effort of humans or animals. In 1086, as estimated in the Domesday Book, there were approximately 6,000 watermills in England. Over the next 20 years, this number would double. This shows how water wheels were the main source of power for Medieval Europe. In fact, it wasn’t until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution that the watermill stopped being seen as a primary power source. This was a direct result of the invention of steam power. 

In the Middle Ages, the Cistercian monks took full advantage of watermill technology. The monastic order was created at a similar time as watermill technology arrived in the west. This meant that the group grew at a similar rate as the popularity of watermills. For the Cistercian monks, the main purposes of watermills were to gain financial independence or security. They built their monasteries on man-made canal systems which facilitated easy watermill construction, this is proof that they were at the forefront of the technology. Not only were these canals used to power water wheels for various purposes, but they also provided fresh water to those who needed and fulfilled the needs of an effective sewage system. On this basis, Cistercian monasteries can be seen as some of the earliest examples of organised factories which fulfilled a commercial purpose. 

Whilst not considered to be  a part of the Industrial Revolution, the mill was the first step to using machinery to make work more efficient. The use of watermills allowed people to complete larger amounts of work in shorter amounts of time. In industries where workers relied on factors such as good weather or sunlight, this will have been greatly advantageous. In addition, using a watermill to complete work was cost effective as human labour was expensive.

 As the popularity of the mill increased, there was a noticeable shift in power from urban centers to rural areas closer to water sources. A key example of this is the fulling industry. Prior to the use of watermills, this process of shrinking and thickening cloth was carried out by people who would manually hit the cloth with a bat. The invention of the fulling mill meant that the labour-intensive aspects of the process were taken over by machinery and so only one person was required to operate the machine. As a result, the fulling industry saw a mass migration towards working near water sources in order to increase efficiency. 

The impact that “mechanisation” had on the creation of national markets was significant The use of mills allowed manufacturers to produce a greater quantity of product at a faster rate, often at less expense. This meant that new economic opportunities became viable options for previously “small-scale” manufacturers. In order to find an appropriate outlet for this greatly increased volume of products, many huge markets were established nationally. 

From the start of the Medieval Period until the start of the Industrial Revolution, the watermill served as a crucial source of power. This meant that the technology was constantly being upgraded and improved to find new uses for the generated power. These developments led to water power being introduced in other industries. For example, the move from a horizontal wheel to a vertical wheel meant that advancements in mechanical gers were needed. This mechanical technology then went on to be implemented in the first clocks and other similar mechanical products. 

Importance, developments, and use have led to the watermill becoming one of the most prominent power generation methods of all time. Not only did they influence modern power generation techniques such as hydropower, but milling is a technique still used to this day.