Peak District Millstones

	Composite millstone - Caudwells Mill, Rowsley. This is a typical 19th century "French" stone - sections of chert cemented together and held by steel bands around the circumference. The source of the chert - a natural silica rock similar to flint, but less likely to take a polish - was northern France. Although complete millstones were imported, it was probably more common for chert blocks to be imported and the complete stone assembled in England, often in Derby or London . Note the grooves - "furrows" - that show this was the working face.
	A composite "French" stone at the Brindley Mill, Leek. Chert stones could be used to break open wheat grains more cleanly than millstone grit stones. This allowed the bran - the outer shell of the wheat grain - to be separated more easily and produce white flour, which was seen prior to the 20th century as less likely to be adulterated and therefore healthier.
	Composite grit millstone - Cheddleton mill, near Leek. Massive beds of millstone grit are rare on the west side of the peak district, but blocks of good grit could be found at quarries such as Mow Cop. These were shaped and fitted together, sometimes without cement, and held together by steel bands for local use. Composite stones are probably under-represented at mill sites because they could be disassembled or simply fall apart when the steel bands rusted away and the stone used for other purposes. NB Cheddleton mill is now best known as an 18th & 19th century flint mill (ground flint was used as in porcelain manufacture) and the tub grinders used for this are on site, but there are other mill remains at Cheddleton, including a pigment grinder (see Edge Runners) and this millstone, provenance unknown, but it is just possible it dates back to the 17th century, when the mill was used for flour.
	Composite grit millstone - Cheddleton mill- a side view shows the steel bands.
	Composite grit millstone - Alderley mill. There seems to be no standard design for "Mow Cop" stones and this one incorporates cement, unlike those at Cheddleton, but is thinner in section.