Iconic Bovey Tracey waterwheel turning once more after repairs

The historic Grade II Listed waterwheel at the Riverside Mill in Bovey Tracey has undergone major repairs and is turning again.

Riverside Mill is home to the contemporary craft centre MAKE Southwest.

Located beside the bridge and River Bovey, it is a local landmark in Bovey Tracey, which greets visitors arriving in the town from Dartmoor. 

The repairs to the waterwheel, funded by the Tracey Almshouses and Samuel Croker’s Almshouse Charity, provide a tangible link to Bovey Tracey’s history, and enhance the natural beauty of the riverside.

The iconic waterwheel is a key part of Bovey Tracey’s industrial heritage, having provided the first domestic running water supply in the town. 

According to a 2021 report on the history of Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey, by Dr Frances Billinge, the site was never a mill, but once a pair of cottages, which was purchased in 1845 by John Divett, the co-owner of the Bovey Tracey Pottery Company, as well as the adjacent property, Bridge House. 

Divett rebuilt the cottages as stables with a water tower and waterwheel in 1854. The waterwheel was used to pump water from the River Bovey into the tower for domestic use at Bridge House as well as the stables, and remained operational until 1920. 

According to Billinge, local residents relied on private wells in their house or yard, pot water taken from the river and streams, or the town pump, so would likely have regarded Divett’s domestic water supply as a remarkable innovation.

The restored wheel connects Bovey Tracey’s industrial heritage to its craft heritage. 

Divett’s innovative water system sits in the nexus of craft and engineering, and his domestic designs derive from a similar water system implemented at the Bovey Tracey Pottery Company, where several water wheels were in operation, channelling water from Becky Falls in Dartmoor. The turning wheel also links MAKE Southwest to the building’s history, which finds synergy with the charity’s celebration of heritage and contemporary innovation in craft, design, and making across the South West region and internationally.

MAKE Southwest’s long-term ambition is to use the waterwheel as a source of renewable energy, promoting sustainable practices and teaching visitors about historical waterpower, with hands-on learning experiences for school groups and families.

The first stage of the renovation was completed by Castleford Engineering in early August this year, starting with a full replacement of the wheel’s timber work with locally grown oak and a new steel frame to support the bearing and protect the wheel during flood conditions. 

The repairs to the waterwheel are a timely intervention, as MAKE Southwest prepares to celebrate 40 years in the Riverside Mill in 2026. 

The team at MAKE Southwest hopes the restoration will foster connection and a sense of pride in the local community, and the turning water wheel has already caused ripples of excitement among Bovey Tracey residents.