The Missing Motive Powers
Through a longitudinal analysis of the growth and decline of different sources of motive power over the 800-year period from the Domesday survey in 1086 to 1900, this research theme explores the missing contributions of water- and wind-power to British agriculture and industry. Using a mixed method approach, this research combines i) existing archival, historical and archaeological research on watermill and windmill numbers, ii) the power outputs during the medieval and early modern periods with population, grain consumption, with iii) water, wind and steam mill data drawn from a wide range of secondary, cartographic and archival sources from the 18th and 19th centuries.
