The East Anglian Mills Society 🌍

The text of a press release from the newly formed East Anglian Mills Society:

A Brighter future for our regions windmills?

TEAMS stands for 'The East Anglian Mills Society' and was formed during 2008 following a series of meetings between like minded mill owners and enthusiasts in East Anglia.

The aims of TEAMS are simply to share information, expertise and experience in maintaining, preserving and restoring our windmills.

Windmills were once the focal point in every community providing employment and producing flour, notwithstanding the visual aesthetic they exude. Throughout the 20th Century windmills became disused and were replaced by more efficient ways of flour production. By the Second World War most windmills were decommissioned and demolished for scrap material.

Thankfully a few special mills have survived the decades, largely through a sustained dose of TLC from their owners and major support from organisations like the Society for The Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), English Heritage, The National Trust, Cambridge Preservation Society, the Heritage Lottery Fund and mill groups that exist in many counties.

TEAMS is independent and amongst its associate members are the mill owners of the following mills (with opening times during National Mills Weekend (Saturday 9 - Sunday 10 May):

• Impington mill, Cambridgeshire (Saturday & Sunday May 10am - 4pm - 07967 461933)
• Haddenham Great Mill, Cambridgeshire (Saturday & Sunday 11am - 5pm - 01353 749667)
• Wicken smock mill, Cambridgeshire - a working windmill (Saturday & Sunday 10am - 5.30pm - 02476 183524)
• Over tower mill, Cambridgeshire - a working windmill (NB this mill is not open to the public)
• Swaffham Prior tower mill, Cambridgeshire - a working windmill (Sunday 1 - 5pm - 01638 741009)
• Willingham – Cattell's Mill, Cambridgeshire (Saturday & Sunday 11am - 4pm - 01954 261168)
• Bourn post mill, Cambridgeshire (Sunday 2 - 4.30pm - 01223 243830)
• Hinxton watermill, Cambridgeshire (Sunday 2.30 - 5.30pm - 01223 243830)
• Stanton post mill, Suffolk - a working windmill (Saturday & Sunday 12pm - 6pm - 01359 250622)
• Thurne Dyke, Morse's Windpump, Norfolk - a working windpump and the most beautiful on the Norfolk Broads (Sunday 2 - 7pm, with Songs of Praise 'amateurs' from 4.30pm plus the Norfolk Concert Band. 01692 672155)
• Repps, near Potter Heigham, Norfolk - Morse's Wind Engine Park (Saturday 10am - 4pm - 01692 672155)

Over the course of the next few months there will be organized and supervised work-ins to carry out ongoing repairs, culminating in a coordinated open day at the mills during National Mills Weekend.

We are actively encouraging people to get involved - young, old, skilled or unskilled. A website is being built to promote TEAMS' mills and the tasks that lie ahead.

For more information on TEAMS please contact Bob Paterson on windmillbob@hotmail.com or visit the website www.millsofeastanglia.org.uk which will be launched in late April.