Practice – A day at the mill

Practice

Pioneering Technology

A day at the mill

The IAgrE’s Pioneering Technology Specialist Interest Group enjoyed a combined visit with the Midlands Mill Group http://www.midlandmills. org.uk/ to Wickhamford Water Mill in the Cotswolds at the end of the summer. William Waddilove reports.

The water mill is privately owned on a working farm and over the years a number of people, mainly through the Midlands Mills Group have been working on it and all very much encouraged by the owner John Poulter and his son, who now lives in the mill house. 1964 as it was adjacent to their existing farm. At that time the mill was almost derelict with the wheel pit full of sediment and the weir in poor repair.

Gone to sleep

has been dug out of the wheel pit, it has been re-paddled, the weir rebuilt, and the water ways cleared.

John Bedington has led the project and put in a lot of time to progress it. The pit wheel had just been re-cogged with 94 hornbeam teeth inserted into the cast iron wheel. It is common to run wooden

“ When it was purchased in 1964 the mill was almost derelict, the wheel pit was full of sediment and the weir was in poor repair.”

teeth against cast iron gear teeth although the mechanism was still quite noisy and wet if you were near the water wheel.

Back in action

On the day, visitors saw the mill pond full and the running wheel turning the machinery and flour being milled by the kibbler. They also saw the sack hoist working with its noisy trap doors on each floor.

Reconstructing the drive to the two stones is still too much of a job. In addition to being able to eat biscuits made with flour milled the previous Tuesday, there was also bread made with a proportion of the flour. The first flour milled for 80 years had been done only on the 3rd of August!

Other attractions were two Austin Sevens, as well as refreshments supplied by John Poulter. We think John was delighted to see so many people coming and appreciating the restoration work on his water mill.

The next work unit in the project is to rebuild the mill pond sluice gates. They do leak rather a lot!

Are you tired of working on complicated modern equipment, join the volunteers, there is not a computer in sight!