So
summer has passed, so they tell me, and as we head for autumn things are looking
good at the Mill. We have obtained a good length of heavy lineshaft from Coupland
Mill at Wooler, and this together with some machines and a crane we have purchased
from a retiring joiners’ shop in Walkergate, will give us mechanical components
to continue working on through the winter.
We
have submitted a planning application for a Pole Barn on our second terrace, and
this will house the two rack benches that we have on site. This will leave more
space in the Mill for our most recent acquisitions, and will provide a greater
variation of equipment.
Visitor
figures have been poor this year, but so has everybody’s, some as low as
50% on last year, so as a new concern in tourism, I expect we have done quite
well. We hope to receive our final 10% from the Heritage Lottery Fund soon, and
this will help to restore our coffers again.
Our
Sponsored Walk was a great success and raised a further £683. This amounted
to £341.50 raised from participants, which was then kindly doubled by Abbey
National Charitable Trust. This will cover the cost of the Pole Barn and the extra
equipment.
Trevor, Oct ‘98
Please
remember that our opening times are 10am - 3pm between: 1st Oct - 31st Mar
Society
for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Mills Section visit to the region
The
weekend of September 10th to 13th saw members of the SPAB Mills Section in the
Newcastle area for their annual weekend tour. The tour was hosted by the North
East Mills Group.
The
programme included visits to windmills such as Fulwell and a variety of watermills
like Leap Mill. The group also visited modern wind turbines at Blyth and Earth
Balance as well as spending about an hour looking at the work that has been done
at Path Head. The mixed set of mills, from working to derelict, old to modern
was complemented by evening talks and a lively debate on the issues that surround
mill preservation and protection.
The tour gave the NEMG an ideal opportunity
to show what the area has to offer in the way of mills.
We
believe that the participants had a good tour and hope that they will visit the
region again.
Quotes
from
Duncan Hutt,
NEMG Chairman
NEXT
NEWSLETTER - XMAS ‘98
