The present work depicts one of the last remaining tidal mills in Britain. Hilder sailed past the mill several times, making a number of sketches from his boat, with a view to making this finished work.
Hilder states, 'Throughout painting this mill, I maintained a free, open style, wishing to avoid any sign of tension in my brushwork. I drew the buildings accurately and painted them with precision, in apposition to the loose rendering of the sea and sky.' (see R. Hilder, Painting Landscapes in Watercolour, U.S.A., 1982, p. 140)