Council's tourism lead marks English Tourism Week with visit to Cheddleton Flint Mill
Cheddleton Flint Mill in Cheddleton, the only mill in Europe to have two water wheels working side-by-side, has been visited by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, Councillor Matt Swindlehurst, to mark English Tourism Week (13 - 22 March).
He was joined by the Mayor of Leek, Councillor Derek Hilyer.
The site, which takes water from the River Churnet, has been milling since the 13th century. Initially, it produced corn but went onto play a major role during the Industrial Revolution by grinding flint to make porcelain for the pottery industry following interest shown in the site by the 18th century industrialists James Brindley and Josiah Wedgwood.
Grinding flint on the Cheddleton site proved to be a `game changer` for the nearby and developing pottery industry that until then could not produce its own bone china ware.
Councillor Swindlehurst was given a guided tour of the mill complex and its miller's cottage, two flint kilns, a drying kiln and outbuildings adjacent to the Caldon Canal.
He said: "Cheddleton Flint Mill is a real gem and sums up Visit England's theme for this year's tourism week celebrations, of `Local Stories, National Growth`
"Led by passionate volunteers through a charitable trust, it's an important reminder of how the Moorlands played a key role in the national and international growth of the pottery industry. The flint mill is well worth a visit and connects to our other attractions in the Churnet Valley and nearby Leek."
Nick Smith, a trustee and volunteer at the flint mill, said: "We were delighted to welcome Matt and Derek. Whilst we have been around for a long time, we are always looking to share our enthusiasm for this key industrial heritage attraction and attract more visitors. As Matt says, it really is a gem and one we are proud to look after.
"We are especially keen to attract more groups and will be giving a talk to a history group in Caverswall soon to `spread the word` to similar groups. We will be marking National Mills Day on 9 and 10 May and would be delighted to welcome people to come along to our fascinating site either then or when we open on Mondays and Wednesdays and during occasional weekends."
The national English Tourism Week campaign champions the diverse, exciting and valuable tourism industry across England, showcasing the exceptional quality of visitor experiences, the benefits they bring to local communities and the vital contribution the sector makes to the economy.
In the Staffordshire Moorlands tourism supports 5,124 full time equivalent jobs, generated over £587million in visitor spend in 2024, and saw 6.2 million visitors in 2024 up from 5.9 million in 2023, which all helps to drive growth across the district.
Published 19 March 2026
