Post by Dave on Nov 8, 2018 15:33:58 GMT
Byter Mill Stoke Gabriel 8th November 2018
Due to the poor weather today, I put off doing the river walk and photo shoot I had planned to do and will do it another day. I always have other photo shoots on my list to do and as this one was more local and I could go out and do it in between the showers, I settled on doing this one.
You live somewhere and think you know the whole area, but that more than often is not the case and even right on your own doorstep, there are places waiting for you to still discover them.
On one of the Facebook pages I am a member on, someone put up an old photo of a pub that is no longer in Stoke Gabriel, so I checked it out on google street view, to see how it looks now. So often when I use google street view I find myself clicking further along the road to see where it goes.
I did this and soon found I was being taken along a very old lane that came to an end as it was blocked off from going any further by a set of posts in the lane. I was able to click again on the other side of the posts and that is when I got excited and knew I had to visit this place.
The lane is known as Byter Mill Lane and on the village side of the posts are some very nice looking houses that enjoy some wonderful views. As I live in Paignton I drove towards Stoke Gabriel and turned off left before I got there onto the Waddeton Road. Further down this road on the right hand side is a house called the Old Forge and right beside is Byter Mill Lane.
This lane goes past the old mill and just before the posts in the lane is a place where at least three cars are able to park. So now parked up I walked back up towards the mill and was able to get a good shot of the remains of the mill race by leaning over a gate.
After getting the shots I wanted I turned back and walked along the lane on the other side of the posts and what a lovely walk it was. It was a shame the weather was rather dull as it does have an effect on the photos, but I was still pleased with the ones I took.
Byter Mill is the last mill standing in Stoke Gabriel which, in conjunction with the long gone Tidal Mill on the quay, used to deal with all the flour and corn products used in the villages and farms in the area. In the position of what is now the River Shack Café stood the tidal mill consisting of two large structures that seemed to dwarf the surrounding cottages. The mill would only work for two periods in a day
Byter Mill lane was then just a stony track that led from Byter Mill to the quay and was used mainly for carrying sacks of corn and cider to and from the mill and Mill Creek.
