Sound Escape 260. Hear a lost sound of the countryside: the clattering mill

Sound Escape 260. Hear a lost sound of the countryside: the clattering mill

Published: February 13, 2026

Duration: 7:30

This week we're featuring a lost sound of the countryside – the curious melodies of clattering mills. These were wind-powered devices on tall poles that made a racket to scare birds from the crops – especially starlings plundering cherry crops.
Thanks to Sonke Prigge for collecting these incredible sounds, which will be  included in the British Library’s Very Rare and Lost Sounds collection. This is special strand within the Library's national sound archive dedicated to preserving audio that’s at risk of disappearing or already forgotten.
BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countrysi...