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© David Arnott
1997-2008
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Path Head History
Click here to see a brief history of Path Head
Hamlet |
Restoration Project
This
page tracks our progress during the restoration work at Path Head Water
Mill. Restoration of the Mill and landscaping of the surrounding area
has been a slow process, but we're finally getting there!
The updates on this page were made monthly from October 1997 to September
2000, and whilst restoration work still continues at the Mill we have
suspended future updates to the page. Our progress can be tracked quarterly
through our Newsletters which are posted on this site in April, July,
October & December.
This is what we
started with in 1995!
Please scroll down
the page to track the developments at the Mill or alternatively select
the topic you wish to view from the following list
September
2000 Update
September 2000 UPDATE! Early update this month!
Plans are underway to commission the new office and have all services
and utilities moved across.
We now plan to purchase the split-roller bearing for the lineshaft that
was recovered from Coopland Mill (near Wooler) now that adequate funding
has been obtained. This lineshaft will be used to power the bandsaw and
some other machinery.
August 2000 UPDATE! Finally - almost a year
after the initial plan was conceived our new office is complete - we just
need some furniture inside! We will shortly start to dismantle the old
office to allow more room in the Mill building.
Things have been very slow here due to the seasonal bad weather, however
the weather has had some positive effects. The stream has been able to
flush itself out with the volume of stormwater.
July 2000 UPDATE! The foundations have now
been dug out for our new static waterwheel display which is based below
the existing crankshaft and flywheel display. This waterwheel was another
artefact which was donated from Acomb mill. Our aim is to reconstruct
the waterwheel in it's original manner so as to recreate the way it was
at Acomb.
Everybody a likes a good story... and today loads of kids and their parents
enjoyed a great storytelling session at the Mill. There were loads of
stories about millers and milling in general, and everybody seemed to
have a great afternoon. We hope to repeat this success again, and ask
anyone interested in attending to get in touch so we can see how many
would be interested.
Our new office is now underway which will help improve the appearance
of our shop area, and also provide extra protection for our shop and visitors.
Moving the office from the Mill building to our Tearooms will allow us
more space inside of the Mill to create displays and set up reconditioned
machinery.
June 2000 UPDATE! Maintenance Month! The joyous
task of cleaning out the gutters and repainting windows is over for another
year!
An interpretation board for the Acomb Millstone is being designed and
will be situated adjacent to the car park being one of the first artifacts
to be viewed during your visit.
In the heavy rain of June we suffered a flood during the night which thankfully
did not damage to the Mill itself and only minor damage to the contents.
We have now nearly dried out!
May 2000 UPDATE! As part of the development
of our Flywheel and Crankshaft display, work on the refurbishment of the
Acomb water wheel is continuing at a pace. Cleaning, repair and painting
of the remaining side segments is now complete ready for fitting of the
timber elements of the wheel.
Our very FIRST plastic "Duck Race" took place on Easter Sunday with great
success. We received approx. 80 visitors of which 40 children took part
in the race. We hope to repeat this on an annual basis.
Finally, please accept my apologies if you have tried e-mailing us over
the past few weeks as we temporarily lost our connection with the internet.
April 2000 UPDATE! We have received a generous
donation of a large quantity of trees ranging from Oaks through Maples
to various Pines. These trees were planted in strategic locations by Trevor,
Ben and some of our volunteers.
The Ducks Are Back!!!
We are currently providing loaves of bread and a wonderful home for our
new residents - a handsome couple of Mallards.
March 2000 UPDATE! Hey, we're actually early
with our update this month! Our new Marketing Officer is now in full swing,
and has loads of plans for us this year. These include a number of events
taking place at the Mill e.g. Duck Races, Children's Story Telling, Sponsored
Walk, Artist's Day. (Details to follow soon)
The internal restoration is still underway. We have overhauled two of
the three bearings needed for the final line shaft which will actually
transfer the drive from the wheel to the machinery (when completed).
February 2000 UPDATE! Work on the path around
the rear of the millpond and streamside is now almost completed, this
will provide access for us to service and maintain the stream and pond
and eventually giving our visitors wider access to the site.
Our community activities have expanded enormously over the past few months
with more and more volunteers coming on site and helping us with landscaping
work whilst learning new skills and a great sense of teamwork. We regularly
receive volunteers from Gateshead Health Trust, Sheltered Housing & Work
(SHAW) and BTCV Enterprises. We even occasionally provide a resource for
Prices Trust and Weston Spirit groups.
General maintenance work is being carried out for the new year - a sort
of Spring Clean if you will! More developments are planned for the coming
months - stay tuned.
Millennium Update It may not have been around for
2000 years, but PATH HEAD WATER MILL's buildings have been part of Blaydons history
for almost 300 years.
Thanks to Trevor & Ben's efforts and the generousity
of the many people and organisations that have assisted us, the Mill remains an
active part of our local Industrial Heritage.
Trevor, Ben and all of Vale Mill Trust's Trustees would like to wish you
all the very best for the coming year.
We hope the New Year will be prosperous for the Mill and hope you can
support us by coming to visit and telling everybody you know about the
work we are doing.
December 1999 UPDATE! Merry Christmas!
The internal machinery installation is continuing well, two counter line
shafts are now located. This will drive the newly situated woodworking
machines for demonstration purposes.
Braving the elements outside our intrepid "explorers" have now finished
planting the whips and cuttings for the willow arboretum.
The pond has been given a "pre-spring clean"/overhaul, clearing the weed
and silt thus returning our waterflow and capacity to the original tolerances.
November 1999 UPDATE! We're back inside! It's
cold out there, so we have started progressing with some internal machinery
installation and restoration - That should keep us busy for a while!.
Continuing from where we left off last Winter we are working on the drive
train of lineshafts, belts and pulleys. Once completed these will power
the woodworking machinery.
Landscaping work is continuing, courtesy of our volunteers and depending
on the weather. More outdoor work will be done in the Spring.
October 1999 UPDATE! The foundations have
been excavated for our new static Acomb water wheel interpretation which
will be sited below the Flywheel & Crankshaft display. Thus recreating
the mechanical format as was in Acomb.
September 1999 UPDATE! Our new path leading
around the rear of the pond and towards our new flywheel and crankshaft
display has now been finished. Following recent completion of the new
bridge, this now allows for reasonable disabled access around the whole
of the site.
Construction of the new stand-on sundial feature is well underway and
should be completed by December - weather permitting.
Further landscaping around the pond, near the new displays has been done
which will allow for our plans for a new willow arboretum early next year.
August 1999 UPDATE! We have now painted the
flywheel and crankshaft in a matt black anti-corrosive paint ready for
assembly in the next few weeks.
Our new path is now nearly ready for use with 1/3rd already prepared and
laid with crushed concrete granular sub-base. The bridge is progressing
well.
A new "homemade" picnic table is now available for use in our walled garden
area by the water wheel.
July 1999 UPDATE! The flywheel has been cleaned,
ready for painting. We have also begun to excavate a path around the rear
of the pond, this will enable our disabled visitors to gain access and
enjoy more of our site.
The installation of this new path and bridge will also provide viewing
access to more of the wildlife habitat.
June 1999 UPDATE! Concrete caps on the flywheel
interpretation are now in place ready for the timbers for the bearings.
We have begun to clear and level the area around the stone supports ready
for seeding and lawn.
May 1999 UPDATE! Our newest attraction - the
Pole Barn, now has it's completed roof which has been constructed from
Victorian corrugated iron sheets.
The stone supports are now finished and await their concrete caps which
should be in place in the next few days. This will support the timberwork
which will in turn support the bearing housing for the crankshaft and
flywheel interpretation.
April 1999 UPDATE! The corrugated iron sheets
are now onsite and being fitted on the roof of the pole barn. We are hoping
that this attraction will be completed before mid-summer and in time for
the schools returning in September. Work can then start on restoring the
sawbenches which will be housed within the pole barn.
The internal workings of the Mill are now starting to take shape with
all of the line shaft assembly now in place. We are in the process of
"running in" the line shaft and auxilliary components.
The stone pillars which will support the flywheel and crankshaft display
are nearly complete. The stonework is now finished and now awaits the
concrete caps which will support the timberwork which in turn will support
the bearings.
March 1999 UPDATE! The main framework for
the Pole Barn is now complete ready for the Victorian corrugated iron
roof which will be in keeping with the period.
The foundations for the flywheel and crankshaft interpretation display
are now well underway and should be completed before the summer season.
This work has been undertaken by BTCV Foundation in association with the
New Deal.
Our Summer opening hours are now in effect. These are Tuesday - Sunday
9:30 - 6:00. Please note that last admissions are 30 minutes before closing.
we are closed every Monday except Bank Holidays.
February 1999 UPDATE! The crane, recently
purchased from the timber yard has been assembled in readiness for use
in conjunction with the Pole Barn.
Visitor figures are slowly improving, but are still slow for the time
of year. We are hoping that as spring approaches more families will choose
Path Head to enjoy a relaxing day out, maybe as an alternative to a boring
Sunday at home!
We are now in a position to complete the line shaft assembly, which we
hope to be finished within two months at the outside. This will enable
us in the medium term, to drive some of the woodworking machinery.
January 1999 UPDATE! Happy New Year! The foundations
for the flywheel are now complete and work on the concrete blockwork will
shortly be started.
The initial structure of the Pole Barn is now erect and we hope for completion
of this project in time for the Easter holidays.
Interest from local schools has improved with a number of visits arranged
during January. We hope that this trend will continue throughout the year.
December 1998 UPDATE! All of us here at PATH
HEAD WATER MILL would like to wish you all the best for Christmas and
1999. We have been very busy here for the last few months planning and
starting our new projects.
These projects include the construction of the new Pole Barn, preparing
the foundations for the flywheel and crankshaft from Acomb and starting
work on the path leading around the back of our site.
Our photo gallery has now been updated with pictures of our current construction
projects on site.
November 1998 UPDATE! Planning consent has
now been received enabling us to start construction of the Pole Barn on
the second terrace. Work on the first two frames is progressing well,
and completion of the main structure is expected before Christmas.
Visitor numbers are still very low - probably due to the deteriorating
weather. This should be improved when we eventually have brown 'Heritage/Tourist'
Roadside signs.
Work on the foundations to support the Acomb Flywheel and Crankshaft will
soon be underway, this was also agreed in the recent planning consent.
October 1998 UPDATE! What awful weather we
are having! The typical northern downpours have not helped our progress
but things are still moving on.
We have our first length of lineshaft running. We have had to run it in
because we have had to re-cog the crown wheel.
We have also started work on a new path around the rear of the pond to
show people more of the area. This path will eventually lead from the
Pond Dipping area to the back of the Mill and provide a good nature walk
for visitors and especially school children.
September 1998 UPDATE! Work is still progressing
at the Mill, although we are still awaiting planning permission to start
work on the pole barn.
We have now received some additional woodworking machinery dating from
the 1930's which was still in use, until recently.
We have now finished re-cogging the crown wheel due to the fact the originals
were stolen whilst it was in Guyzance Mill. This now means we can run
the start of our lineshaft link.
August 1998 UPDATE! We have now purchased
some much needed line shaft from a watermill conversion outside Wooler.
This will help us complete the drive train inside the Mill.
We have submitted a planning application to enable us to erect a Pole
Barn on site to house our sawbenches. This will be sited on our central
terrace and will not stand more than 6 feet above the level of the Car
Park. This building will be a valuable addition to the site, complementing
our existing features.
Sponsored Walk Special I think I can safely
state that the Sponsored Walk which took place on Sunday 16 August 1998
was a great success.
20 people turned up at Caroline Terrace to take part in the walk and all
enjoyed the tour of the Mill at the end. Pictures will be added to the
Photo Gallery soon.
At the initial count it appears that we have raised a total of £333.50
which will be doubled by Abbey National Charitable Trust to £667.00.
I would like to thank everybody who helped make it a day to remember and
especially the staff from Abbey National who came along and participated
in the walk.
July 1998 UPDATE! Visitor numbers are slowly
improving with a few local schools visiting the Mill, amongst these were
Crookhill Primary School and Emanuelle College. Special thanks to Emanuelle
College whose pupils spent the day constructing a rockery and helping
with general landscaping.
The grass is growing well which is making the Mill look even more picturesque.
The wildlife in the pond is now beginning to return after the disruption
of the excavation work.
Above is the flywheel and crankshaft which we recovered from Acomb Mill
(near Hexham). It was installed in the wheel house of Acomb Mill, above
the water wheel to substitute the drive in place of the original wheel
which was damaged. In order to remove the flywheel and crankshaft we had
to remove part of the Mill's roof. This enabled us to move the flywheel
using a 25 ton mobile crane.
Some of our Mill machinery which has been in storage for the last few
years has now arrived on site for restoration. They will be displayed
around the site with Interpretation Boards explaining their original uses.
Some of these should be in place by late 1998.
June 1998 UPDATE! Work is progressing well
with the assembly of the gears and shafts inside the Mill. The main shaft
is now in location to provide us with our first "ratio step-up". Timber
work is now in place along with the bearings for the third shaft for the
next stage of the drive train.
We now need to raise the profile of the Mill, and have arranged for some
advertising with relevant Tourist Information sources. I am also arranging
a sponsored walk for local residents participation. The plan is to do
a 4 mile walk ending at the Mill and provide refreshments and a guided
tour for all participants. More details will follow shortly.
May 1998 UPDATE! The Official Opening on 18
May went well. We received around 180 visitors. The Duke of Northumberland,
The Mayor of Gateshead, Dr Joanna Martin (NWET), and our Co-ordinator
Trevor Underwood did the honours. The weather was kind, with clear skies
all day long.
LEFT TO RIGHT:- David
Williams (NWET), Dr Joanna Martin (NWET), Trevor Underwood, Mayor of Gateshead
& Duke of Northumberland.
Now the work begins! Our main aim is to complete the restoration of the
drive train and other components of the mill so that there is more for
our visitors to see. Most of the major building work is now complete,
only the finishing touches to do.
April 1998 UPDATE! Well we're now open. Easter
weekend weather was appalling, so not many people came for a visit. However,
we are hoping for a better response during the May Bank Holiday weekends.
We have now completed work on the Interpretation Centre and have the "Restoration"
Interpretation Board in place. We are now able to serve tea, coffee and
sandwiches in this unit, and the disabled toilets are operational.
Some of the initial Mill machinery is now on site and is being installed
within the next few months. Work is underway to renovate some of the older
machinery before it is put in place.
Our temporary site office and storage cabin have now been removed which
allows us to complete the landscaping of the surrounding area. Most of
the grass seed has now been planted and we hope to have the grass well
underway for the summer.
We are now preparing for our Official Opening on the 18th May at 2pm where
the Duke of Northumberland will be doing the honours!
March 1998 UPDATE! The mill is now connected
to a mains electricity supply. The Interpretation Centre is rapidly nearing
completion with the dry lining now completed and the framework for the
lavatories is in place.
The pond has now been excavated to give us adequate water supply and a
pond dipping area is underway for the natural wildlife.
The balcony on the first floor of the mill now has it's handrail in place,
and we are currently adding a lectern for use by schoolchildren when they
are making notes about their visit.
The paths leading to the Mill and Interpretation Centre now have their
foundations and levels. The base coat will be applied shortly ensuring
that the top coat is laid in plenty of time for our opening in Easter
weekend.
February 1998 UPDATE! We're getting closer
to our opening day and things are finally starting to pull together. The
interpretation centre floor is now complete and the timber-work for the
dry lining for the internal walls is in place.
The volunteer's are currently working on the path to the visitor's entrance
which is well underway with the connection to the footbridge complete.
Construction of the kiosk to house the electrical switch gear and connection
to the National Grid was successful and it is only a matter of time before
the mill is on-line. An electrician has recently wired the building and
strip lights are now in place. We have chosen to light the mill using
fluorescent tube lights as this is more environmentally friendly and cost
effective.
January 1998 UPDATE! Happy New Year! - Sorry
for the delay in the January Update, things have been a bit hectic here
with the grand opening not that far away.
The water channels have now been concreted and fully complete. After a
bit of re-thinking we've also got the sluice gate working properly and
the water wheel is now fully complete. I've seen it working!
We have now successfully completed the field drain across the front of
the mill building to remove excess ground water. The drainage system is
now in place under the new floor foundations in the Interpretation Centre.
It has now been confirmed that the Duke of Northumberland will be formally
opening Path Head Water Mill on Monday 18 May 1998. Please note that attendance
is by invitation only. All member's will receive formal invitations nearer
the time. Go on Join Now!
December 1997 UPDATE! The scaffolding has
now been removed following completion of the roof, guttering and pointing.
The window frames are in position ready to be glazed, and the doors have
now been hung.
The bridge to the upper floor entrance is now complete and awaits the
fitting of a handrail. This leads onto a balcony overlooking the mill
machinery which is being fitted below. New floor timber's are now in place
supporting the balcony.
The water channel stonework has been completed, and the sluice gate and
channel floor will be completed shortly. The water wheel is now finished!
All the spokes are in place, together with the paddle boards and sole
boards.
We've almost got a wheel!!! We had to rebuild
the entire wheel pit because the old pit had a severe lack of foundations
and was being held together by tree roots. We now have the axeltree in
place waiting for the wheel pit to be completed. This axeltree is a later
edition and is made from cast iron. We decided to paint the axeltree a
bright colour (yellow) so it is easier for small children to identify
on school visits.
This part of the project is well underway and close to completion.
Left = The wheel pit in the beginning
Right = The wheel pit at the end of October '97.
November 1997 UPDATE! After lots of hard work
we've now got a roof. A lot of the structural work on the Mill and Interpretation
Centre buildings have now been completed and the scaffolding will soon
be removed.
As the weather is getting progressively worse we will be concentrating
our work on the interior of the building for the next few months. The
first undertaking is to renew the upper floor timbers and make good the
floor area and viewing balcony. Once the foundations are in place, we
will then construct the new ground floor from stone slabs, which will
replace the original flooring.
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