Behind the bus stop on Great Coates Road is Healing's very own Toot Hill, earthworks that suggest a medieval mill. Approximately 50 foot wide, Toot Hill is a large circular ditch-like earthwork, perhaps a remnant of a windmill that was once there.
The above photo shows the depression where the rim of the mill was. You will see that the site is covered with sloe bushes. Toot Hill is located in a raised bank, hence the 'hill' in 'Toot Hill'.
May I note that it has not been confirmed that Toot Hill was actually a mill.
The Domesday Book lists half a mill. Could this be it? From what I've gathered, windmills only came to England in the medieval era, and the ones before were watermills. Is there another unknown mill in Healing?
Rod Collins has written a great blog post here.
Regards,
James
What about the possibility of this being a barrow? The website Megalithic.co.uk lists Toot Hill, saying it is a bowl barrow. Could this be true? Perhaps our ancestors saw this natural rise in the ground, and built a mill on it?
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