The Old Mill Restaurant occupies a site that can originally be traced back over a thousand years, referenced in The Doomsday Book (1086) which refers to it having a Saxon owner. This is supported by evidence that has been found of Botley having a settlement in pre-roman times.
The site was part of the Manor of Botley and owned by Ralph de Mortimer, a nobleman who fought on the side of King William I at the Battle of Hastings. The Mill remained in the possession of his family until the early part of the Fourteenth Century, when 1304 the entire manor including the Mill was granted under a trust to the order of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Winchester, however during the dissolution of the monasteries the Mill passed to Thomas Wriothesly, and then by marriage to the Dukes of Portland who owned it for the next 250 years.
The Mill was expanded in 1757 and the building containing our restaurant was constructed then.
The ownership changed again in 1838 and W&J Clarke traded here until 1921 and it was at this point The Botley Flour Milling Company was formed. In 1923 Fred Appleby bought into this company and Botley Mills has remained in his family until the present day, with milling taking place up until 1993.
Now home to the beautiful Old Mill Restaurant, the building has been sympathetically renovated by the owners to create a most unique place, where as you enjoy a great dining experience you can reflect on who else has shared this wonderfully historic space with you.