FORMER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: YAFFORD MILL – HOME TO A MINIATURE RAILWAY AND SOPHIE THE SEAL

Yafford Mill was a quirky tourist attraction in the heart of rural West Wight – a little south of Shorwell – that closed over 20 years ago back in 2000. As well as the mill equipment – kept in perfect working order – it was famous for its miniature railway and the resident grey seals that lived in the millpond. The mill has gone but has not been forgotten. Close to 25 years after it closed to the public, confused families can still be encountered on country lanes in the vicinity, searching for the now defunct tourist attraction, only to appear crestfallen when informed it has now shut up shop. The name ‘Yafford’ derives from the Old English Hecce (meaning ‘sluice’), combined with ‘ford’. ‘Hecceford’ appeared in the Domesday Book of 1087, and the name ‘Yafford’ was first recorded in 1637. Although the present building was built in the 19th century, Yafford Mill’s origins are thought to have been medieval. The wall between the mill and the miller’s cottage dates to the 14th century. Yafford Mill was also home to a piggery – with as many as 20 breeding sows – in the early years of the 20th century. The building was mysteriously damaged by a whirlwind in 1932 and subsequently demolished. The mill was a grist mill, grinding feed stuff for animals. It was in working use up to 1970. The last miller was Mr A C Salter. It was powered by Shorwell Stream which flows through the garden of The Crown Inn before emerging and flowing into the sea at Grange Chine.

When Mr Salter gave up milling in 1970, Yafford Mill was taken over by local farmers Michael and Angela Clarke. The Clarkes turned it into a museum, displaying a comprehensive selection of agricultural implements in common use on the Isle of Wight up until the middle of the 20th century. A nature trail and small adventure playground were also added to the attraction. The mill was maintained in working order: at that time, it was still possible to purchase stone ground flour there. The Clarkes also introduced grey seals to Yafford, where they lived – apparently contentedly – in the millpond. The seals were said to have been partial to consuming seabirds landing on the pond for a snack. Around the mill roamed rare breeds of cattle sheep and pigs. These included a flock of Portland sheep, which were said to have 1st came to the United Kingdom when landed from a wrecked Spanish galleon. Many modern sheep derive from this breed, including the Dorset Horn.

In 1991, the ownership of Yafford Mill passed to David Coates, who was a transport enthusiast. Mr Coates was Managing Director of FBM in Cowes, which built high speed craft, including Red Jets 1,2 and 3. Mr Coates decided to add a railway to the then-existing attractions. In 1992, he purchased 2x 2ft 6in gauge locomotives for the mill from the recently closed National Tractor Museum in Northumberland. By the end of 1993, he had applied for planning permission to build a narrow gauge railway on land close to the mill.

In the Spring of 1995, the 450-yard line was up and running. The line was later extended to 3/4 of a mile, with a passenger journey time of around 20 minutes. The miniature railway did not only transport tourists; it carried supplies to other parts of the park and was used to carry livestock feed. Sadly, in 1999, Yafford Mill was put on the market for a price of £350,000, including the house, land, building and railway track. The train and agricultural machinery went up for sale for £35,000. The railway closed in November 2000 with the site sold the following month. The new owners, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not want a railway on their land. The track went to a ‘new railway’ in Devon, presumed to be the Ashbrittle light railway. The 2 locomotives were sold to the Sunshine Peat Company, which operated on Annaghmore Bog in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. There, they transported peat from the bog to a loading point on a road.

The last remaining seal in Yafford Mill millpond – Sophie – left the Isle of Wight on 13th December 2000. She had been in Yafford for 25 years, 10 on her own since her mate Bosun passed away. Sophie was reunited with 6 other female grey seals – Honey, Anneka, Paula, Twiggy, Sheba, and Fatima – at the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek in Cornwall. Sadly, Sophie passed away in 2006. Do you remember going to Yafford Mill? Did you ever feed Sophie the seal or make a journey on the narrow gauge railway? Let us know in the comments…