IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Ford End, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, LU7 9EA

A B-24H Liberator crashed on this farm in 1944, killing two crew members. This memorial was dedicated in 2009.

It is said the large leaves of this plant, which later in the season can grow to 3 feet across, were used for wrapping butter.

The tail race was set up as a sheep wash to clean the wool on the sheep before shearing to improve it. Not the same as a sheep dip. Boards placed between the two wooden posts under the unguarded bridge dammed about 1.5 m of water. The sheep were dropped into this pool and a farmhand in oilskins stood in the square cast iron box (the pulpit) and used a crook to dunk the sheep and probably to also hold them under water cascading from the spout on the extreme right. The clean sheep swam along the narrow brick channel until they touched bottom and could climb out. There is a photograph of the wash in use in 1939 and the Society is hoping to restore this unusual feature.

This is a view of the mill gearing through the guarding. The pit wheel is seen at the bottom and above that can be seen the tentering beam. The access panel has been swung down and the miller has placed a handle on the jacking gear and is about to lift the stone nut out of engagement with the great spur wheel. The mill had been producing flour as part of National Mills Weekend but the afternoon was now coming to a close. Over the weekend we saw many mills but this was both the only watermill and the only mill working in anger.

One of the two pairs of stones was grinding wholemeal flour from locally grown wheat for National Mills Weekend 2017.

On the top or bin floor and operated by belt from the layshaft below. This is a ubiquitous piece of mill machinery and very elegant with the far end being raised by a cord to tension the belt on the pulley and place it in operation.

A timber framed, weather boarded mill with an overshot wheel driving two pairs of stones. It was milling and the upper floors shook fit to loosen your fillings. This is the top or bin floor with the grain bins that fed the stones below. The chain on the right is for the sack hoist. The gentleman in blue in the centre is looking at a replica quern - an earlier hand operated mill.

A timber framed, weather boarded mill with an overshot wheel driving two pairs of stones. It was milling and the upper floors shook fit to loosen your fillings. This is the stone floor. The set on the left was for animal feed and is not in use. The set on the right were milling flour. The layshaft is driven by the crown wheel and the belt disappearing upwards operates the sack hoist. In fact, this angle suggest the left hand tun (or vat) is devoid of the runner stone.