Millstone

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A 4-foot-6-inch diameter by 12-inch thick millstone weighing 1.3 tons that once served at Upminster has been preserved. This particular millstone, crafted from French Burr stone, was the preferred choice for producing fine flour. Rather than a single piece of stone, it is comprised of blocks held together with iron hoops and stabilized using Plaster of Paris to fill cracks in the assembly. The intricate pattern of grooves etched into its face is known as the dressing. As the millstone rotated, these grooves effectively funneled grain from the eye, situated at the center of the stone, towards its outer edge, thereby enhancing the grinding action. The process of re-cutting these grooves to counteract wear (a highly skilled craft referred to as dressing) demands great precision.