accommodation

There has been a water mill on the site of Vivers Mill since 1198 when instructions were issued to cut down oak trees in Dalby Forest to be brought to this site and construction began. Through the middle Ages it was a paper mill (the lane was called Paper Mill Lane ) and may have had connections with Rieveaulx Abbey. Prior to the War of the Roses it belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1740 it was sold by Joseph Rowntree at which time he went to York to start his chocolate factory. In later years it became a flour mill ( the lane was changed to indicate the change of use ) successfully producing flour until as late as 1970. At that time the owners, the Ryedale Farmers, went bankrupt and the mill quickly became derelict.

Vivers Mill today

Vivers Mill today has been sympathetically restored in order to retain all of it's original character, but offering today's visitors all modern conveniences. All of the public areas and each of the eight en-suite/private bedrooms reveal original heavy beams and exposed stonework. The stone flagged floor of the front dining room is complemented by the massive oak refectory table.

In 1971 some of the grinding equipment was removed to a museum in York, but Vivers Mill still houses a working, 16ft diameter, cast iron, undershot wheel (installed in 1870 ) driving a shaft through the centre of the building from the ground floor to the loft where the winding gear is located. All of the moving parts are visible for our guests to enjoy while dining on a hearty Yorkshire breakfast - a rather more entertaining experience than soggy cornflakes and breakfast TV!

The large, but cosy lounge has as its centrepiece the original millstones. These are smooth, marble-like, French stones, which are much harder and longer lasting than traditional English stones. They are cut in segments and put together like a jigsaw, the pieces held in place with cast iron straps.