In "The old mill" by Carl Fredrik Hill, the focus is on the mill building with its large waterwheel, which cuts through the very structure of the house and is placed in the center of the image. On either side of the waterwheel, the flowing water is visible; in the background, it is depicted as a narrow, steep waterfall, while in the foreground it has widened into a turbulent stream that rushes over rocks and stones, directly towards the viewer.

The old mill building also appears to be used as a dwelling. Through the openings on the long side of the house, a warm glow of firelight shines, and black smoke rises from the chimney into the blue sky. Behind the house, seven tall, slender sprouces grow closely together. The straight growth of the trees forms a protective wall between the house and the background, where one can discern a mountain and possibly another waterfall. To the right of the house, another, taller mountain rises with several ledges. On one of the ledges, the entrance to a dark cave is visible.

It is an interesting drawing with several symbol-laden motifs; the trees, the cave, the mill, the mountain, the stones, and the waterfall.