After months of restorationand conservation work, many a delve into history and the resurrection of characters to bring it back to life, the team at Sacrewell Mill will reopen its doors for the first time next weekend.
In a two-day celebration of the centre’s rural roots on July 18 and 19, Sacrewell near Wansford, Peterborough, will be grinding wheat once more, introducing visitors to the miller and baker at the mill and using technology to interact with the Land Army Girls who ran the farm during the Second World War.
Mill project officer Jane Harrison says the £1.8m project, part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the William Scott Abbott Trust will be a huge boost to the community.
“We have been incredibly fortunate to meet and interview the people who lived and worked at Sacrewell before the mill closed commercially in the 1960s,” she explained.
“Using their stories and our own knowledge through the Trust’s archives, we have brought the mill back to life.”
Sacrewell will now be heavily relying on the skills of people in the community as volunteers, who will be gardening, wearing period costume and maintaining the 18th century grade II* building.
They worked with Tinwell firm Messenger Construction to restore and conserve as many of the original features of the mill as possible, recycling and repairing everything from the waterwheel to the Collyweston slate roof.
Originally built in 1755, but with the site dating back to Roman times, the interpretation work inside the mill includes a timeline of events that affected Sacrewell’s rich history, from the Domesday Book to the Tudors.
The mill will be open to members of Sacrewell only on July 18 and then to the public on the July 19 from 9.30am – 5pm. Pop in and view the new mill building and also take a look at their newly born rare breed Lop piglets!
Anyone with information or memories of the mill can contact Jane or Nikki at info@sacrewell.org.uk