Water Mills General

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By the end of the 14th century, most rural towns had an average of up to seven mills. Water-powered mechanisms operated hammers, fulling mills, sawmills, water pumps, bellows (in forges and foundries), or devices for breaking hemp.
Each mill consisted of three parts: the motor, the transmission system, and the working device. The motor was the water wheel, and the transmission system comprised various components that changed the direction of force, ensuring a smooth transition from the slow rotation of the water wheel to a faster one.
The working device varied according to the purpose of the structure. The core of grain mills were the millstones: the stationary lower stone called the bedstone and the rotating upper stone called the runner. Grain was ground between these stones.
Proper placement was crucial for a mill: the current had to be neither too weak nor too strong, and in our climate, the strength of the river current varied significantly with the seasons. Therefore, the miller also had to build artificial channels and weirs to regulate the flow.

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