Dark satanic mill

The flour mill seems particularly dark and satanic today. 
I have read that the inspiration for Wm Blakes reference to 'dark satanic mills' is believed to come from a flour mill. 
Albion Flour Mill of Southwark London was the first steam powered flour mill in the UK. It could grind 6000 bushels of flour per week and the same engine that drove the millstones also provided the power for fanning and sifting the flour and loading it on to the Thames barges. Its efficiency drove other mills out of business and created a virtual monopoly forcing up the price of bread. In 1792 it was destroyed by fire causing irreparable damage and leaving 500 unemployed. 
Arson was suspected. London's independent millers celebrated with placards reading "Success to the mills of Albion but no Albion Mills" referring to the mill as "satanic". A caricature of the time shows two large devils on the roof of the burning mill. 
Wm Blake lived only a short distance from the mill so it seems a possibility that this event inspired the lines in Jerusalem which was written about 13 years after. 
Flour dust is very volatile, something MrsW and I do consider occasionally living close to the mill as we do....

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