Evidence of early settlements is provided by their names that originate in the Anglo Saxon period.

When the suffix “ton” is part of a place name it signifies a  homestead of Saxon ·settlement, as found in the place names of  Affeton, and West and East Worlington,

The Anglo-Saxon suffix ‘don’  means a hill  or fortified hill. specifically a prominent, flat-topped, or grassy hill suitable for a settlement as found in the place name Cheldon.

Therefore the three neighbouring Saxon settlements  of Affeton, the Worlingtons and Cheldon  which are located along the North slope of the valley of the Little Dart River,  provide strong evidence that  people were living in these locations during the Saxon period.

Research suggests that the diet of the Anglo-Saxons  generally included grains, vegetables, and some meat. Bread, made from wheat, rye, barley, and oats, was a staple, along with vegetables like peas, beans, onions, leeks, turnips, and root vegetables. By applying this to the Saxons who formed settlements in the Little Dart River valley they would require a method to grind grains into flour for bread making. Historical records show that Saxons did have mills, particularly watermills, which became increasingly common by the 8th and 9th centuries. So while there is no evidence of the date of origin of Affeton Mill, the general statement in the A Lost Devon Village  booklet that ‘a mill probably existed from the early days’ could have been possible.

The first person to appear in the records as occupying Affeton was a person called Robert who took the name de Affeton. Robert ‘De Affeton’ was born in 1152 and he married into the De Affeton family in 1175.  A church and village at Affeton came into existence by the latter half of the 13th Century, a small community having sprung up around the de  Affeton family. Two key factors that influenced the establishment o f the  village of Affeton on this site was the location  springs that provided good drinking water,  and the river in the valley and if a mill had been constructed at earlier times a ready made facility to support a new and growing population. It is possible that around this time the Affeton family  did not live in the building that is now known as the Castle, as the historical evidence identifies the original manor house (presumably the Castle)  was built by the Stucley  family around 1434.  It’s also worth noting that there is a good source of stone at nearby Drayford, and it can be assumed that the  Castle, of which the Gatehouse still exists,  provides evidence that the original building material was stone.  The Church as an important building in the village is likely to also being of a stone construction, while the cottages would have been of cob construction.  The existing mill is built of stone which matches the stone used in the castle construction so we can only surmise two hypotheses. Firstly that a stone built mill did exist prior to the Castle’s construction or that a different mill building sat on the same site as the current mill, which was constructed during or closely following the building of the Castle.and replaced a previous building. The mill house, which was the residence for the miller and family, is adjacent to the mill itself, is mainly of cob construction. 

M. Bodman, in Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, states Affeton Mill’ in West Worlington is a stone building with a slate roof by the side of the road. The mill was shown as a grist mill on Donn’s map of 1765. The waterwheel has gone but the pit remains outside the southeast wall & the leat is choked. A grist mill is a historic building or machine that grinds cereal grains (like wheat, corn, or oats) into flour, meal, or animal feed. Powered traditionally by water wheels or windmills, they use heavy stones to crush grain, serving as vital community hubs where farmers brought crops for processing, often paying a percentage of the grain as a feKey details about grist mills: Water channels through a raceway, turning a water wheel, which powers shafts and gears that rotate large grinding stones. Grain is fed from a hopper between two stones (a stationary “bed stone” and a rotating “runner stone”) to crush it. Beyond just flour, they were used to produce cornmeal, grits, and livestock feed. Common for centuries, they acted as local economic centers in the U.S. and elsewhere, often located near dams to harness water power.