Medieval Watermill

Timeline

1. 101–801Gaul and the Rhine basin of the Roman Empire · Rhine basinThe technology of vertical and horizontal waterwheels driving millstones was already well developed in the Roman world, and was rebuilt and spread along rivers in the early Middle Ages through monasteries and the manorial system.
2. c. 1175–1301England, France, and the German states · Western EuropeWatermills were widely distributed in manors and city suburbs, with lords often retaining mill monopoly rights (milling tolls); water power was also used for hammer forging, fulling, and other processes, forming a prototype of the medieval industrial water-power network.
3. 1501–1801European industrial river valleys · EnglandWatermill technology expanded into early modern industries such as textiles and metallurgy; after the rise of steam power, grain grinding gradually shifted to windmills and steam mills, but rural watermills persisted for a long time.