Cricklepit Mill stands beside one of the artificial watercourses that once powered a dense industrial landscape along the western side of Exeter. The 1563 map of the city, which can be viewed at this link, shows clearly how water was diverted from the River Exe into a series of channels running parallel to the main stream. These leats were engineered to provide a controlled and reliable flow, allowing mills to operate even when the Exe itself was in flood or drought. The system was medieval in origin but built upon earlier practices, and by the sixteenth century Exeter possessed one of the most concentrated milling complexes in the South-West.
The leats served multiple purposes. Some powered corn mills that ground grain for the city’s population, a vital function in any medieval town. Others drove fulling mills, where woollen cloth was cleaned, thickened and finished, an industry that formed a major part of Exeter’s economy. Fulling required heavy wooden hammers lifted and dropped by water-driven machinery, and the steady flow of the leats made Exeter an ideal centre for cloth production. Additional mills undertook grinding, sawing, and other mechanical tasks that benefitted from water power. The leats also supplied water for domestic use, brewing, tanning and other trades that required a dependable source.
Cricklepit Mill was one of several mills situated along the lower reaches of the leats. Although fulling was carried out here, the mill’s significance lies in its place within the wider industrial system rather than in any single specialised function. The building occupied a position where the leat’s gradient and flow were sufficient to drive machinery effectively, and its wheel harnessed the controlled water supply that had been engineered upstream. The mill’s structure, like many in Exeter, was adapted over time as industrial needs changed, but its reliance on the leat remained constant.
The 1563 map shows the leats running through what were then the outskirts of the city, feeding a chain of mills before rejoining the Exe. This arrangement ensured that water was used efficiently: each mill took its share of power before passing the flow on to the next. The system required continual maintenance, with weirs, sluices and channels kept clear to prevent blockages. The city authorities regulated the leats carefully, as any interruption could affect food supply, cloth production and the livelihoods of many workers.
Exeter’s milling industry reached its height in the later medieval and early modern periods, when the city’s cloth trade was one of the most important in England. Fulling mills along the leats processed large quantities of woollen cloth destined for export, and the controlled water power allowed Exeter to compete with other centres such as Tiverton and Totnes. The mills also supported ancillary trades, including dyeing, shearing and finishing, creating a complex industrial ecosystem dependent on the engineered waterways.
Cricklepit Mill survives as the best-preserved example of this once extensive system. Its wheel and leat illustrate how Exeter harnessed the Exe’s water to drive industry for centuries. Although many of the other mills have vanished and the industrial landscape has changed, the leat system remains visible in places and continues to demonstrate the ingenuity with which Exeter shaped its environment to meet economic needs. Cricklepit Mill therefore represents not only its own history but the broader milling tradition that sustained the city from the Middle Ages into the modern era.
