Devil's Grinding Mill
The Devil's Grinding Mill, also called the Devil's Hole, is a dramatic, partly fallen cave system on the River Eden in Cumbria, England. It’s part of The Angel's Drainpipe, a network of caves that makes big gorges and natural arches. The site lies south of Kirkby Stephen in Stenkrith Park, where the water rushing through the caves produces a constant loud roar.
Geologically, the mill is unusual because it formed in brockram—a rock made of limestone fragments set in sandstone—not in solid limestone.
In 1828, a travel writer described the area near Staincroft Bridge (also called Stonecroft Bridge), where a small but deep stream roars through the rocks. Nearby is the Devil's Hole, a vast abyss where the water roars incessantly. Local stories tell of two lovers swallowed by the gulf, and of a man named Deville blamed for pushing his beloved into the waters. People point to a small hole in the bank where the noise can be heard, with some thinking it’s the sound of infernal spirits and others that the tale about Deville is true.
There was also a famous wager: a man claimed he could span the narrow water with his thumb and little finger; by night, another man chipped a piece off the rock with a hammer and won the bet. Today the river Eden flows into the area a mile or two from Staincroft Bridge. The valley is also known for trout fishing in the Eden.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:05 (CET).