Winchester City Mill
Location: Winchester
Client: National Trust
Architect: Donald Insall Associates
Value: Not disclosed
City Mill is a highly significant historic mill building spanning the River Itchen in Winchester, on a site associated with milling activity for more than 1,000 years.
Rebuilt in 1744, the structure remains an important heritage asset and still contains a working water wheel and milling machinery. SFK Consulting was appointed by the National Trust to advise on structural repairs to the building and to assess how it would perform under severe flood conditions affecting the mill and its basement.
The project combined structural deterioration with complex flood risk. The ground floor timbers had suffered movement, deflection and local decay, leading to extensive temporary propping over recent years. At the same time, major flood events had caused water to back up into the basement, creating turbulence, debris impact and prolonged wetting of structural elements. Any solution needed to improve resilience without compromising the historic fabric or the mill’s relationship with the river.
The project established a clear strategy for both structural repair and long-term flood resilience at City Mill.
Targeted strengthening works improved the stability of the ground floor and enhanced support to the external walls, while flood modelling identified how water pressures and debris loads affect the building during major events. The recommended package of strengthening and flood protection measures has increased confidence in the mill’s structural resilience and helped safeguard its future as a working heritage asset.
Photo credit: Ethan Davis Creative
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