Mill news and topical information - Archive page 2

Perkins wind engine installed in Mishawaka-Penn-Harris library

The Mishawaka Lions Club have donated a restored Perkins wind engine to their local public library in Indiana. The mill was produced at the local Perkins factory, which was later absorbed into the huge Uniroyal complex, itself demolished in 1999.
Item: #49, Posted: 12/3/03.

Viewfinder photo archive from English Heritage

Viewfinder is a new archive of historic photos from English Heritage in association with Oxfordshire County Council. It includes images from various English Heritage collections, and also the Henry W Taunt Collection for vintage scenes of Oxfordshire and the Thames.

The site includes a specific photo essay: The windmill: a tradition of renewable energy.

There are also many well categorized photos:

Item: #48, Posted: 12/3/03.

Preston windmill may be redeveloped

Preston Council is looking at proposals to develop the Moor Lane area, which includes the Preston windmill. Phil Davis, assistant director of planning, states: "The windmill is another important part of the site and a listed building. We think this could be carefully redeveloped as part of the new housing development - either as new homes or some form of community development."
Mills: [Preston, Dowbridge]
Item: #47, Posted: 12/3/03.

Mills in April magazines

A few mills I noted in current magazines:

Build It, April 2003 - a magazine about building your own home has a picture of an unidentified converted windmill on the cover.
The February 2003 edition also carried an article on a Gillian and Peter Jessop's Scottish watermill conversion at Auchterhouse north of Dundee (1994-1997).
Homebuilding & Renovating, April 2003 - another similar magazine has an article about house converting a former watermill in Northern Ireland.
This England, Spring 2003 - has a 2 page picture of Thaxted windmill, and an article on Constable, featuring a photo of Flatford Mill.

Mills: [Thaxted]
Item: #46, Posted: 11/3/03.

Inspector Lynley Mysteries

Publicity information for the new series of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries the first episode of which is broadcast on BBC1 on 10th March 2003, shows the two stars of the show at a crime scene in front of a post mill.

Having missed the episode aired tonight, I cant identify the mill from the heavily cropped photos I've seen.
Item: #45, Posted: 10/3/03.

Holgate Windmill Preservation Society about to acquire Charitable Status

Holgate windmill is owned by the City of York Council, who have agreed in principle to lease the Mill to the Holgate Windmill Preservation Society for 15 years (the minimum period to unlock Heritage Lottery funding).

The Council are carrying out safety improvements to the mill's interior, as a prelude to the Society's surveyor being allowed in to undertake a feasibility study. The Mill is currently ringed with Heras fencing which unfortunately cuts off viewing of the recently erected story board about the mill.

The feasibility report will be a basis for discussion regarding the extent of restoration and access for visits which is likely to be restricted to pre-booked small groups, due to the proximity of local housing.
Mills: [Holgate Mill]
Item: #44, Posted: 9/3/03.

Buckland flour mill, Dover, Kent

The new owner of Buckland flour mill, Dover, Kent plans to spend £1m over the next 10 years to turn it into a museum. Planning permission is needed for the plan, which also wants to rent part of the mill for commercial use.
Item: #43, Posted: 8/3/03.

Cwlwm provide tailor made wedding services from National Trust mill

Cwlwm, a company run by six farmer's wives in Ysbyty Ifan near Betws-y-coed, North Wales, provides tailor-made wedding services, from the refurbished old mill.

The mill is owned by the National Trust, and was recently officially opened by Welsh Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas and Daloni Metcalf after a £100000 refurbishment. The ground flour of the mill preserves and exhibits the milling equipment, which was used till the 1940's, though the mill continued to provide electricity for the village into the 1960's.
Item: #42, Posted: 8/3/03.

American Wind Power Center

A Positive Spin on Wind is a short article about the American Wind Power Center. The centre has 110 wind engines on display and the article links to the video report.
Item: #41, Posted: 8/3/03.

3000 year old windmill?

An excavation at Whiteleaf Cross near Princes Risborough has uncovered Roman coins and pottery at the site. In addition there is reportedly "the remains of a Bronze Age windmill dating back 3,000 years." This sounds most unlikely - perhaps this refers to some toy, or simple cross shaped artifact.
Item: #40, Posted: 6/3/03.

Conversion plans for Staverton's watermill, South Hams

Staverton watermill on the River Dart is planned for conversion to 8 flats. The developers Aurotal also want to build 3 homes alongside, but since these are on the river flood plain, South Hams Council warns the site is unsuitable.
Item: #39, Posted: 6/3/03.

Round-up of recent news from the Western Morning News

Having found this resource, it seems a shame to not include the cream of the relevant news from their recent archives.

20 February 2003 - Little Petherick mill Cornwall, for sale
This converted Grade II listed mill dates from the 16th century. It is on the market for £575000 plus stock, and last year the B+B business turnover was £26000. The waterwheel was retained, though now it turns by electricity for effect.
15 February 2003 - Lower Cot mill, Cornwall for sale
3 recps, 2 beds 18th cent mill converted about 10 years ago. Accommodation over 3 floors includes 2 receps, 3 beds, 1 bath, conservatory. Price £299000
14 February 2003 - Newton Abbot mill conversion plans
Permission is sought to convert an old bark mill, used by the Newton Abbot tanning industry into houses. Outline permission was granted in 2001 to demolish the site, but retention of the historic buildings is preferred.
28 January 2003 - Mill House Inn at Trebarwith Strand near Boscastle
The inn which was a mill in the 16th century has 10 rooms, and a gastro-pub restaurant.
27 January 2003 - Mill flour enjoys a market revival
The National Trust's Cotehele Mill ground animal feed till 1964, then fell into disuse. Restored in 1972 it began to produce stoneground flour in 2002 after more restoration and work to satisfy health. regulations.

Item: #38, Posted: 6/3/03.

Shirley Windmill - on the John Ruskin Grammar School site

Shirley Windmill spent many years surrounded by the John Ruskin Grammar School, which now has a page on the mill, including a number of historical photographs.

Elsewhere on the site, there's other mentions of the mill, including the recollection that on 1st April 1971, the Upper Sixth advertised the "mill for sale with staff and groundsman" in The Times.

More photos on the pages covering 1950's opening day, 1960's, site plan, 1991, images.

Updated: Feb 2006 after the links broke! Note that there are plenty of stories about the mill on other pages of the site.
Mills: [Shirley]
Item: #37, Posted: 5/3/03.

Windmills at Montpelier Plantation Inn, Nevis

Yahoo News carried a photo with the following caption:

Mount Nevis as seen Jan. 23, 2003, from Montpelier Plantation Inn, a former sugar plantation where stand the stone remnants of windmills that powered the sugar mills. Once there were 41 windmills working on the island, along with 20 steam-powered mills and 22 animal-powered mills.

Update: This picture originally accompanied the article Sweet Nevis By David L. Langford, The Associated Press. The article goes on to add: "Iron gates guard the entrance to the intimate Montpelier Plantation Inn, where Princess Di stayed. Scattered about the grounds are the remnants of old sugar mill machinery, including an imposing stone windmill standing adjacent to a modern swimming pool.
Item: #36, Posted: 4/3/03.

Confirmed acts for Comstock Windmill festival

The Comstock windmill festival in Nebraska is scheduled for June 12-15, 2003. Acts to play include Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis and lots more.

Full details at www.windmillfestival.com.
Item: #35, Posted: 4/3/03.

Miller needed for Thorpeness windmill

A weekend miller is required at Thorpeness windmill, owned since 1977 by Suffolk County Council, and operated as a visitor attraction by the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Unit.

The job "involves climbing ladders and pulling on ropes. Great physical strength is not needed but the person needs to be fit and agile," said Simon Hooton SCHU manager. "The most important thing will be enthusiasm and skill when dealing with the public."

The windmill was built in 1824 in the village of Aldringham 2 miles away. The Ogilvie family bought the Sizewell Estate in the 1890s and in 1922/3 dismantled and moved the mill to its present site, converting it from a cornmill to water pumping. The water was pumped into the water tank hidden in the House in the Clouds.

The mill opens at Easter, and weekends from May to September. In addition in July and August Di Holmes staffs it from Monday to Friday. Anyone interested in the weekend job is asked to contact either Simon Hooton or Anita Johnson at SCHU, tel. 01394 384948.

Update: Sail of the century: mill person needed! is the same story.
Mills: [Aldringham cum Thorpe]
Item: #34, Posted: 4/3/03.

Japanese theme parks in financial trouble

The Dutched themed Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Western Japan has filed for bankruptcy.

The park which a includes a number of replica Dutch windmills, will remain open but is about $2 billion in debt.

The nearby Nagasaki Holland Village which was operated by the same company also had a windmill, but the village closed in Oct 2001.
Item: #33, Posted: 4/3/03.

Carluke windmill, Scotland, in partial collapse

A battle has begun to save the oldest windmill in Scotland, at Carluke.

Part of the A-listed High Mill in Chapel Street, dating from 1797, recently collapsed and planning officials have served a repairs notice on the Kirkton Estate which owns it, to demand the building is preserved. South Lanarkshire Council and Historic Scotland are in talks about the possible funding of the mill's repairs.
Mills: []
Item: #32, Posted: 4/3/03.

Holiday in a French Windmill

A recent round up of options of places to stay in France in the Guardian travel section included the small 17th-century windmill at Corme-Ecluse. Now converted into a holiday villa to sleep 4 or 5, the property is simply furnished with a low entrance door to the kitchen, open-tread stairs to one bedroom and a ladder to another. An adjacent summer house contains an additional single bedroom.
Item: #31, Posted: 4/3/03.

Jonathan Creek 4th Series

The 4th series of Jonathan Creek started on BBC1 on 1st March 2003. In the series Jonathan Creek lives in a windmill - which is actually the working mill at Shipley, Sussex.

To catch up with previous series, you can purchase the book The World of Jonathan Creek and videos of Vol 1 Part 1, Vol 1 Part 2, and Christmas special, all of which show the mill on the cover.
Mills: [Shipley]
Item: #30, Posted: 3/3/03.

"Lost in La Mancha" on DVD in the UK

The documentary about the failure to make Terry Gillam's film based on Don Quixote is available on DVD. [PAL, region 2 encoded]
Item: #29, Posted: 3/3/03.

Searching for audio and video recordings about mills

The Singingfish search engine which indexes audio and video files on the web has been in the news this week.

Amongst the interesting items I found through it are:

Preserving Windmills on the Prairie - audio - a 1999 report by Leif Enger and Minnesota Public Radio, providing a general intro to American windpumps, including some history of the Aermotor company.
Cape Cod Windmills - audio - a 2002 NPR report on the proposed offshore windfarm in the waters near Cape Cod.
From Windmills to Whirligigs: A Conversation With Vollis Simpson - video - not very windmills related to be honest, but some of Simpson's creations are a bit windmill like.
Chicago windmills - audio - An 2001 NPR report about the idea of placing innovative wind turbines on top of Chicago skyscrapers.
Antarctic Division to build windmills in Antarctica - audio - a 2001 ABC report about windmill turbines for powering the Antarctic research bases.
Windmill De Otter - audio - a 2001 Radio Netherlands report from inside the De Otter windmill.
Nebraska windmills ranch - video - about the Comstock country music festival
The Windmill in Our Back Yard - audio - reports on a backyard wind turbine in Vermont.
Irish watermill - video - a 2000 report from a recently restored Irish watermill in County Kildaire.
USS Chesapeake timbers in mill - audio - short clip about Wickham mill in Hampshire. See also the corresponding web page.
McCrossin's Mill - audio - preserving McCrossin's Mill in Australia.

Item: #28, Posted: 27/2/03.

Gatwick Zoo to be developed for housing

Charles Church has started building work to turn the former Gatwick Zoo into a housing development. The development, which took 2 years to get planning permission, is on Green Belt land, and includes 13 homes.

The Lowfield Heath windmill, moved to the site to prevent its destruction as Gatwick airport was developed, has been handed over to the Windmill Trust for continued preservation, and a 2 acre area around the mill will remain undeveloped.

See also the Granting of Planning Permission document (PDF), and news articles [1][2] on the zoo closing from September 2002.

Update: The Press Release from Charles Church gives further details.
Mills: [Charlwood]
Item: #27, Posted: 27/2/03.

Grand Designs - Woodsman's house

Ben Law has recently built one of the few woodland homes to be granted planning permission. The house within his Sussex woodland which he actively works, has the condition that he must demolish the house if he moves away from the site - he can not sell it to anyone else.

The house, featured on Grand Designs on Channel 4 broadcast 26 Feb 2003, and is built using traditional carpentry, with wood from the woodland, plus local straw bales, clay etc.

Heating and cooking needs for the property are provided by a wood burning stove, and electricity comes from solar panels (reused from the Big Brother house), plus wind turbines.

Ben's approach to woodland management is explained in his book The Woodland Way: A Permaculture Approach to Sustainable Woodland Management.

More details on the house can be found at Permaculture Magazine.
Item: #26, Posted: 26/2/03.

Image of Finchingfield

Page 61 of the February 2003 issue of Professional Photographer includes an (uncaptioned) picture of the village of Finchingfield, Essex, including the post mill in the shot. This is to illustrate a camera test of the Sigma SD9 camera.

The magazine website does not show the image.
Mills: [Finchingfield]
Item: #25, Posted: 23/2/03.

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Last updated 19th March 2008