Passing through the mill……………….
By the time you read this I will have visited Graham
Burgess who was introduced to me at Bere Mill.
Graham is a landscape designer and artist who has
built his own ecological home at The Weir alongside
the Fulling Mill in Whitchurch. He designed the new
“dry garden” plantings at Bere Mill (keep an eye out
for more NGS Open Days garden lovers!) and, having a
keen interest in Whitchurch past and present has
been involved with the Friends of Whitchurch Silk
Mill, having carried out the duties of chairman for
several years. He designs with nature, ecology and
conservation in mind combining those with his
empathy for the area’s history and he has posed some
questions, which you may be able to answer,
regarding the storage and transportation of paper in
Henri de Portal’s day viz: how was it stored to
prevent rats eating it? and, as paper is very heavy
(and edible by rats) and the lanes were very narrow,
were especially designed wagons used? I have
had a quick go at researching this on the internet
to no avail so far. If you can suggest answers to
these teasers please let me know and I’ll pass the
info on. (The Museum of Rural English Life may well
be able to help on the matter of wagons, I guess.)
Under the banner of “Get Cromford’s Wheels
Turning”, Cromford Mills of Richard Arkwright fame
is inviting donations to add to the grants given to
restore Building 17, the Arkwright Society has
raised over £3 million, with a further £1 million
earmarked, but work cannot commence until the entire
funding gap has been closed. The Society must raise
a further £250,000 in order to be able to proceed
with the project. For more information about the
Fundraising Campaign and to donate on-line, please
visit the Arkwright
Society website. Whilst many mills, and
other worthwhile causes, are clamouring for
financial help, Cromford stands prominently at the
forefront of innovative mill workings as it led
progress in the textile industry and is thus very
deserving of your pennies.
A popular windmill near the
lavender fields of north Norfolk is Bircham Mill.
Yummy cream teas are now supplemented with their own
hand-made, feta style Miller’s Fancy cheese
and a hard cheese similar to Wensleydale, named
Norfolk Charm. I wonder if they will try making
a lavender flavoured one next.
The April issue of the
Friends of Norfolk Mills Newsletter carries an
advert for the Hardley Mill Trust which has a number
of foundry patterns which can be hired complete with
core boxes, subject to suitability, to other
restoration groups. All enquiries to: Hardley
Windmill Trust Ltd. For a full list or email:
P.grix@btinternet.com.
Sheila.
