Information
Crabble Corn Mill
Lower Road
River
DOVER
Kent CT17 0UY
Telephone: 01304 823292
NOW OPEN ALL YEAR
Sunday to Thursday
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Opening days and times may be modified depending on other events and staff availability
Self-guided Tours
Adults - £4.50
Over 60 Concession/
Students/Children - £3.00
(under 5's - FREE)
Family (2 adult, 2 Children) - £11.00
Guided Tours
(by arrangement only)
Adults - £5.00
Over 60 Concession/
Students/Children - £3.50
(Under 5's - FREE)
Family (2 adult, 2 children) - £13.00
Group Rates (15+)
Adults - £4.50
Over 60 Concession/
Students/Children - £3.00
Last tours will commence
at 2:00 pm
Open all year around
for pre-booked groups
subject to availability
Restaurant Hygiene Rating
Last Inspection: 15th February 2024
Latest Events
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22 Feb 2025; 07:30PM - 11:00PM Quiz Night |
28 Feb 2025; 07:00PM - 11:00PM Acoustic Music Night |
28 Mar 2025; 07:00PM - 11:00PM Acoustic Music Night |
29 Mar 2025; 07:30PM - 11:00PM Quiz Night |
30 Mar 2025; 12:00PM - 03:00PM Mother's Day Teas |

Welcome to Crabble Corn Mill
Local photograher Peter Kesby took this atmospheric picture just before sunrise recently.
Owned, operated and maintained by Crabble Corn Mill Trust, the mill was rescued from demolition and opened to the public in 1990. It can now boast to be one of the most complete and working examples of a Georgian watermill in Europe.
All the staff at Crabble Corn Mill are volunteers and take no wages; they do this simply to keep the Mill going. Our only income is from visitors, special events and occasional donations. Crabble Corn Mill receives no financial aid from the state and all monies raised go to the upkeep of Mill and its estate.
The current structure was built in 1812 alongside an existing mill which was later demolished to allow for additional storage space - what is now the exhibition area on the ground floor and the tea rooms. However, records show that there has been a mill on this site since at least 1227 when Henry III granted a Charter of Confirmation to St. Radigund's Abbey, the ruins of which can still be seen today on the hill above the village.
What We Have To Offer
The Mill is a working museum and as such shows Georgian and Victorian engineering excellence at work using one of nature's most powerful forces - water.
In 1999 the Mill won the prestigious Presidents Award from the Association for Industrial Archaeology.
Six floors of exhibits and milling machinery describe the process of turning wheat into flour, and this wholemeal flour is available for sale at the Mill.
The café, which is also available for private functions, serves a variety of snacks and has a fully licensed bar serving a variety of beers, cider, wines and spirits. There is no admission charge to the café, although we hope you will take a tour of the Mill while you are here.
What We Can Offer Your Group
Enjoy a tour around five floors of water-powered machinery. The mill can be seen working and producing flour.
- Your own personal tour guide of this historic watermill which is now the only working watermill in Kent. Tours will last approximately 45 minutes.
- Demonstration of the traditional milling process.
- Our café can be made available offering a variety of snacks, light lunches or cream teas (additional cost). The fully licensed tea room has fantastic views across the millpond with its varied wildlife as you enjoy your meal.
- Free coach parking nearby (see Information for Coach Drivers).
- Discounted rates for groups of 15 or more.
- An opportunity to purchase our flour and bread mixes.
The Crabble Corn Mill Trust
Crabble Corn Mill is owned and operated by the Crabble Corn Mill Trust, a Single Building Preservation Trust, and is a registered charity (No. 297098), and registered as a Company limited by guarantee registered in England (No. 2141451).
Its aims, as stated in its Memorandum and Articles of Association, are:-
To promote the education of the public through the restoration and preservation of Crabble Corn Mill, Dover, Kent and through the development and use of the mill as a working museum exemplifying the processes and techniques involved in historic milling by water power particularly related to the 19th Century.
We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help us preserve and run this wonderful part of our national and local heritage. If you are interested then pop in and pick up an application form or we can send one to you.
Why not become a Trust Member? Our annual membership fee is quite reasonable at only £5.00, and allows you to take an active part in the management of the Mill. Please contact the
The Trust would like to express its thanks to all the individual and corporate supporters of Crabble Corn Mill. Without your continued support this small piece of our architectural and historical heritage would not be the place it is today.
A Unique Venue for Your Function
With seating for up to 60 people and a fully licensed bar we can cater for your private functions.
Birthday celebrations, christenings, weddings, wakes, corporate hospitality, group and club meetings.
From buffets to a four-course banquet our friendly volunteer staff will ensure that your needs are met in this unique riverside setting.
Contact the General Manger on 01304 823292
or drop us
How To Find Us
Crabble Corn Mill is situated in the picturesque village of River, about 1½ miles north-west of the center of Dover. The postal address is:
Crabble Corn Mill
Lower Road
River
DOVER
Kent CT17 0UY
For those using a GPS device the coordinates are: 51° 8' 30.442"N, 1° 16' 59.276"E or use post code CT17 0UY.
WhatThreeWords can also be used - "shares.winks.store"
Walkers and cyclists might find the Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (1:50 000) Canterbury & East Kent (sheet 179) of use.
Alternatively the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25 000) Dover, Folkestone & Hythe (sheet 138) has greater detail. Grid Reference: TR 29749 43169.
For comprehensive directions please select one of the links from the list below.
For Schools & Colleges
Practical History, Science, Technology and Biology.
A stimulus for Art, Craft, Drama and Creative Writing.
Tourism and The Environment Award
Crabble Corn Mill won the South East "Tourism & The Environment" award for the quality of its tours and milling demonstrations - it shows a past way of life using technology in tune with the environment. One of the best complete working watermills in Europe, it uses the power of flowing water to make flour for bread, the staple diet of ordinary people for centuries. Life-size models on several floors help show the reality of working life at the mill - ideal for work on "Victorians".
School and College Visits
On arrival we split your class into groups of about 15, each with a guide to follow the activities planned.
- displays explain how the mill works
- hand grinding stones for pupils to grind their own flour
- a knowledgeable guide for each group - tour takes about 90 minutes
- a miller will start the machinery working just for your group*
- cloakroom and toilets inside
- excellent downloadable Resource Book written specially for teachers (click HERE) - with copiable material included - the Resource Book is also available in various formats on CD-Rom on request
- your pupils can touch samples of the products at each stage
- picnic space in the gardens next to the Mill (weather permitting)
*We cannot guarantee that the historic machinery will be in working order or that there will be sufficient water in the river to drive the machinery on the day of your visit.
Inexpensive: £3.00 per pupil, supervising adults FREE (1 per 10 pupils) for groups of 15 or more.
Please ask if you want the Tearoom to be open.
Teachers - have a look first. FREE family ticket, available on application, to enable a pre-visit tour during normal opening. Staff will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have. We will also provide you with a second FREE family ticket for you to use in your next PTA raffle. All told worth £18.00.
Health & Safety Risk Assessment - Click here to view or download our Hazard and Risk Assessment Survey (pdf document).
Hands-on History - with the story of Flour Milling from the Stone Age onwards. Social history from the original Mill founded by 13th Century monks to the existing Georgian building with all its 19th Century equipment intact - and working! Principals of mechanics and engineering are brought to life, as are the characters who worked at the Mill.
Environmental Studies - The Mill environs include the Mill Pond, stretches of the River Dour (a fast-flowing chalk stream), gardens and wooded areas, all preserved as a wildlife sanctuary. These give ample opportunities for study, in a range of habitats, including bird watching, pond dipping and plant surveys etc.
Creative Work - The buildings, the grounds, the village of River and their history are an ideal source of stimulus for creative writing and drama, whilst Art and Craft work is bound to flow from the diverse images in and around the Mill.