What
Stotfold Watermill is a Grade II-listed working watermill beside the river Ivel in Bedfordshire. It is surrounded by an eight-acre nature reserve that is leased by the council and run by a local conversation group. The mill was first mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, where it says that the combined rent of four Stotfold mills, payable to the Baron of Bedford, was £4 and 400 eels.
Opened
The site was opened to the public in 2006 after years of extensive work. The mill had been destroyed by a fire in 1992 and the Stotfold Watermill Preservation Trust was set up as a charity to restore it to working condition.
Collection
The main attraction is the watermill itself, which allows visitors to witness the flour-making process from start to finish. The museum also has several nationally important pieces of machinery, including the widest waterwheel in a UK corn mill. There is a permanent display of remnants of machinery burnt in the fire, a top hat worn by owner Ebenezer Randall and a re-creation of a 19th-century miller’s smock.
Help at hand
The mill is run by 180 volunteers who specialise in different aspects such as archiving, fundraising, marketing, maintenance and the milling itself.
Highlights
“It is wonderfully evocative to be in the building with a working watermill,” says Pamela Manfield, the museum’s volunteer coordinator. “The machinery makes this wonderfully soft sound and as the wheels start up and the huge stones go round, even sceptical 13-year-olds are impressed.” Visitors can talk to the millers and buy the flour they have produced.
Budget
As a charity, the mill’s income comes from fundraising events such as a steam and country fair, which attracts thousands of people a year. Concerts, wine tastings and rural-history quizzes also help support the museum, as does the tea room and gift shop.
Visitors
Between 100 and 400 visitors every Sunday, which is the only day the mill is open to the public. The museum is also popular with schools who arrange visits during the week.
Sticky moment
“Keeping up morale during the restoration was hard,” Manfield says. “A lot of volunteers confessed to me recently that they looked at this pile of rubble and often thought they weren’t going to manage this. It was a total wreck yet now it’s pristine.”
Survival tip
“Never rest on your laurels,” Manfield says. “Keep changing things and keep bringing new people in to work with you because fresh ideas are vital.”
Future plans
The team is about to invest in a Smart Board to display archive material and enhance their education programme. There is also a plan to engage more audiences by building up a community on Facebook and Twitter. The team will soon start discussing long-term plans for developing the mill over the next 10 years.
www.stotfoldmill.com
Stotfold Watermill is a Grade II-listed working watermill beside the river Ivel in Bedfordshire. It is surrounded by an eight-acre nature reserve that is leased by the council and run by a local conversation group. The mill was first mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, where it says that the combined rent of four Stotfold mills, payable to the Baron of Bedford, was £4 and 400 eels.
Opened
The site was opened to the public in 2006 after years of extensive work. The mill had been destroyed by a fire in 1992 and the Stotfold Watermill Preservation Trust was set up as a charity to restore it to working condition.
Collection
The main attraction is the watermill itself, which allows visitors to witness the flour-making process from start to finish. The museum also has several nationally important pieces of machinery, including the widest waterwheel in a UK corn mill. There is a permanent display of remnants of machinery burnt in the fire, a top hat worn by owner Ebenezer Randall and a re-creation of a 19th-century miller’s smock.
Help at hand
The mill is run by 180 volunteers who specialise in different aspects such as archiving, fundraising, marketing, maintenance and the milling itself.
Highlights
“It is wonderfully evocative to be in the building with a working watermill,” says Pamela Manfield, the museum’s volunteer coordinator. “The machinery makes this wonderfully soft sound and as the wheels start up and the huge stones go round, even sceptical 13-year-olds are impressed.” Visitors can talk to the millers and buy the flour they have produced.
Budget
As a charity, the mill’s income comes from fundraising events such as a steam and country fair, which attracts thousands of people a year. Concerts, wine tastings and rural-history quizzes also help support the museum, as does the tea room and gift shop.
Visitors
Between 100 and 400 visitors every Sunday, which is the only day the mill is open to the public. The museum is also popular with schools who arrange visits during the week.
Sticky moment
“Keeping up morale during the restoration was hard,” Manfield says. “A lot of volunteers confessed to me recently that they looked at this pile of rubble and often thought they weren’t going to manage this. It was a total wreck yet now it’s pristine.”
Survival tip
“Never rest on your laurels,” Manfield says. “Keep changing things and keep bringing new people in to work with you because fresh ideas are vital.”
Future plans
The team is about to invest in a Smart Board to display archive material and enhance their education programme. There is also a plan to engage more audiences by building up a community on Facebook and Twitter. The team will soon start discussing long-term plans for developing the mill over the next 10 years.
www.stotfoldmill.com
