Hele Corn Mill has been grinding corn in its sheltered wooded valley between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin for around 500 years, and the fact that the wheel is still turning is testament to both the quality of the original construction and the care that has gone into maintaining it. This is a working mill, not a heritage exhibit, and the opportunity to watch the ancient mechanisms actually doing what they were built to do gives a visit here a satisfying authenticity.
The mill sits in a beautiful valley setting, with the millstream running alongside the building and the surrounding woodland creating a natural amphitheatre of sound and shade. The tearoom is housed in the converted mill buildings and serves excellent lunches, cream teas and homemade cakes, with produce milled on the premises where possible. On a warm day, tables outside in the mill courtyard are perfectly positioned.
The walk down from the valley road to the mill is short and pleasant, and the surrounding woodland has its own seasonal appeal. This is a very easy and rewarding stop on any drive along the coast between Woolacombe and Combe Martin, and the combination of genuine industrial heritage and excellent refreshments makes it hard to drive past.
Hele Corn Mill is about 7 miles from Woolacombe on the A399. Open spring to autumn; check the website for specific hours.
The surrounding valley is a beautiful spot in its own right, and a short walk in either direction along the millstream is pleasant in any season. The tearoom uses flour milled on site where possible and the scones and cakes are freshly made each day. On a summer afternoon, the combination of a working mill visit, a proper cream tea in the courtyard, and a short stroll in the wooded valley is one of those North Devon pleasures that costs very little and delivers considerably. An easy and rewarding stop on the coastal road between Woolacombe and Combe Martin.
