MAKE Southwest’s Landmark Waterwheel is turning again

The waterwheel at Riverside Mill © Castleford Engineering

The historic Grade II Listed waterwheel at the Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey, Devon, which is home to the acclaimed contemporary craft centre MAKE Southwest, has undergone major repairs and is turning again.

Located beside the bridge and River Bovey, the Riverside Mill 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.

An early 20th Century postcard of Riverside Mill

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 waterwheels 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.

The waterwheel at Riverside Mill © Castleford Engineering

The repairs to the waterwheel champion sustainable low-impact engineering, which works in harmony with natural resources, and enhances the beauty of its surroundings. 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 craft education charity has already set a precedent for promoting sustainable craft practices, through the launch of the Green Maker Initiative in 2021, which invites makers to sign a pledge to improve their environmental sustainability over time through a series of simple commitments that reduce their impact on the planet year on year. In 2026, the organisation is putting on an exhibition entitled KINETIC, which will showcase a variety of kinetic works combining craft and engineering from makers across the UK. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about craft and its applications for both art and industry, and consider the importance and relevance of craft skills in our society.  

Though it is not known who built the original waterwheel, Billinge’s report notes there is record of collaborations between Divett and Henry Beare, prolific agricultural engineer, who had an iron foundry in Liverton, and produced water mills, cider presses, and other industrial implements. Those interested in local history can find out more about John Divett and the Bovey Tracey Potteries at the Bovey Tracey Heritage Centre.

In the years after the Divett family occupancy, Billinge reports Bridge House, renamed ‘Riverside’ by Divett’s daughter Mary, who inherited the property, was sold and became The Riverside Hotel in 1926. The Riverside Hotel later became a pub with B&B rooms, The Riverside Inn, until 2016, when it was sold and redeveloped as residential flats and a local Co-Op store. As for the stables, Billinge cites records of Bovey Tracey Cooperative Society operating its bakery factory on the site from 1940, and a fire in 1941, which caused considerable damage. The building passed hands between the Invertère Coat Company of Newton Abbot, followed by a commercial textile premises, and finally Standard Telephones and Cables Limited from 1966. Some time after 1974, the premises were left vacant until 1986, when the Devon Guild of Craftsmen purchased the property, and the address became Riverside Mill.

Mike Tingle, The ‘Devon Guild’ off Thatcher Rock © Mike Tingle

In 1998, the Devon Guild of Craftsmen commissioned Green and Carter to restore the waterwheel, and it was officially opened by Lady Peyton on 26th June. However, the wheel later ceased turning, and the wood was damaged from permanent submersion in the river. 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 would like to thank the Tracey Almshouses and Samuel Croker’s Almshouse Charity for their generous funding, as well as Vanessa Steer and Martin Brealey for their support. MAKE Southwest hopes the restoration will foster connection and a sense of pride in the local community, and the turning waterwheel has already caused ripples of excitement among Bovey Tracey residents.