Alnwick Abbey was founded as a Premonstratensian monastery in 1147 by Eustace fitz John. It was dissolved 1539.
From Tate:
- Belonging to Alnwick Abbey were two corn mills, which stood on the Aln, a little below the Abbey, and a fulling mill higher up the river. These passed to different proprietors along with the Abbey; but only one of them now remains, called the Abbey Mill, belonging to the Duke of Northumberland.
Carriageway map of 1816
- Shows Abbey mills upstream of Canongate bridge
Thomas Bell survey of 1850
- Labels complex of buildings as Abbey Mills
OS Map 1851
- Appears as Abbey Mill, and canongate bridge is called “Abbey Mill Bridge”
OS Map 1866
- Appears as Abbey Mill (Corn)
OS Map 1896 /7
- Appears as Abbey Mill (Corn)
Postcard – postmark = 1906 on Mills Archive
- Captioned as “Canongate Mill”
OS Map 1920
- Appears as Abbey Mill (corn)
A hydro electric system was installed in 1889 by the 6th Duke, and Alnwick Castle became one of the first buildings in the North East to use electric power, only a few years after Armstrong installed hydro electric power at Cragside. The system was decommissioned in 1948 when mains power was installed at the Castle.
The system has recently bee nrefurbished and a modern generator fitted. The electricity produced is used in the Estate’s workshops with surplus going back into the National Grid.