About The Mill
Tucked into the Surrey Hills, a short walk from the village of Forest Green, The Mill is a converted watermill building that stands in ten acres of woodland, with a meadow, pond and stream.
It is also something increasingly rare: a working outdoor centre, with simple residential and camping facilities that are held in trust for the benefit of young people.
The Mill itself dates from the early nineteenth century, when it operated as a working corn mill. In the early 1920s the land was bought by a wealthy widow as the site for a personal residence. Then in 1929 the site was sold again to the headmaster of St Marylebone Grammar School thanks to a £10,000 donation made by an alumnus of the school. Since then, The Mill has been run as a charitable trust which oversees the site for the benefit of young people from London and beyond, one of the earliest of its kind.
With the closure of St Marylebone Grammar School in 1981, the benefit of the trust was transferred to pupils receiving an education at William Ellis School. This gives the Trust its modern legal name of St Marylebone Camp of William Ellis School Trust, now known as the Mill Trust for short.
William Ellis School is a comprehensive school serving some of the most diverse and disadvantaged communities in inner London and in the 40 plus years since the site was given to the school, The Mill has been modernised and extended, helped by the school, by trustees and by many voluntary contributions.
Today The Mill offers something that is increasingly hard to find for many young people growing up in a busy urban environment; time away from home, in a real rural landscape, living and working as a community, spending time with friends and teachers away from normal school life. For many of our young people these are unique and formative experiences that help to build independence, resilience and confidence in ways that are difficult to replicate in a classroom.
Young people learn to cook, to collaborate, to navigate unfamiliar situations and to be away from the routines of everyday life. For some, it opens doors to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and other accredited programmes. Other schools, youth groups and community organisations can hire the site, and The Mill can accommodate up to 40 in its dormitories and bedrooms, or over 100 camping outside.
We know from our pupils that time at The Mill is an experience they remember for many years. This is why the Mill exists in its current form; to provide opportunities that may be beyond the reach of many young people. It is also why trustees are working hard to ensure its continued development and have ambitious plans for the future.
If The Mill's work matters to you, we would be glad to hear from you and to explain the ways you may be able to support its development as it reaches its 100th anniversary