The working mill at Mill Green draws its water from the River Lea just before it flows into the lake in the great park at Hatfield House. The site is noted for its mill in the Domesday Book and the present building dates from the 17th century. We arrived in late July and it still wasn’t open for visitors as the guides and the council wrestled with how to keep people distanced in the cramped space within. Even if we couldn’t go in, we bought some wholemeal flour.
Charming. Yes, if you stay closely focussed on the mill and switch off your ears. As the map hyperlink shows, poor old Mill Green is separated from Hatfield House park by the screaming A414 by to the south. Though there was just room enough for someone to nail up a warning of guard dogs preventing fishing on the 10 yard stretch of water. To the north is the A1000 into Welwyn.
A couple of sizeable old cottages remain and there are a few dreary 20th century builds. But the atmosphere away from the mill museum is of dereliction – fumes, traffic noise, disused telephone box, and a pub that’s unlikely ever to open again.
Walsworthblog 