National mills weekend success and new millstones

We had a fantastic weekend for National Mills weekend, with 628 visitors helping us to smash our original (challenging!) target of 500. We collected stamps from visitors on a picture of the mill to show how many people had been and by the end we had to put them all around the edge! Over 20 volunteers helped to make the weekend happen and we're really grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for making the event and the project possible.

 

The project is coming to an end now, so we're working on evaluation and the last few school and community groups. Work on the mill continues and we have just welcomed the second of our two new millstones, so watch this space for more information as we repair the tun, work on the brake wheel and the great spur wheel and then turn to the challenge of restoring our external drive.  

National Mills Weekend: Day One

This year we are having a big event for National Mills weekend because it's part of the Mill For All Seasons project. Highlights of the first day of the event yesterday included:

 Cake! Although entry is free all weekend, we had a cake stall from the co-op and lots of contributions from our talented volunteers. Fundraising isn't the point of this event but a bit of extra money is never a problem...

 

 

Welcoming 208 visitors in a day, which is technically not quite on track for our target of 500 in a weekend but is a definite record for national mills weekend and absolutely stupendous for a day when we only had an hour without rain.

 

It was great to see so many local people visiting the mill for the first time, which is what this project and National Mills weekend are all about. Full report of both days later in the week, but now we have to get on with day 2!

Mill for All Seasons Project update

We're nearing the end of the Mill for All Seasons project, so here is the latest version of what we've been doing for the past few months:

June 2017

·         Local groups contacted about outreach, school visits and community exhibition

·         Advertising in place for new volunteers

·         1 new windmill volunteer recruited

 

July 2017

·         Outreach sessions: Carers group, Scouts and Beavers, Swavesey WI

·         Press release sent out and interview with Radio Cambridgeshire

 

August 2017

·         Carers’ drop in session at the museum

·         Day centre outreach talk

·         Windmill box created for use in handling talks and with special school pupils

 

September 2017

·         Mill workshop for volunteers

·         Visit from Burwell Early Learners

·         Talks for public at Fen Edge Harvest Fair event

·         Top millstone removed in preparation for being replaced

 

October 2017

·         Burwell brownies outreach and craft session

 

·         CPD session with teachers from Burwell Village College

·         U3A group visit

 

November 2017

·         Tractor refurbished and ready to run

·         Two volunteers to a workshop at the National Mills Archive

 

·         Engage outreach group at library

·         Colourbox nursery visit

·         Burwell village college visit

 

·         Millwright dressing bedstone

 

·         Sensory box session with Castle School

 

December 2017

·         A5 Learning pack prepared and printed  

·         Talk to Soham Library Engage group

 

January 2018

·         Talk to Top Time group at Newmarket Library 11 Jan

·         First new Millstone arrives

                

 

February 2018

·         First draft of exhibition written

·         Visit from Great Wilbraham School 9 Feb

·         Visit from Castle School 19 Feb

 

March 2018

·         Interim report written

·         Talk at Mildenhall Library 8 Mar

·         Talk at Ely Library 13 Mar

·         Visit from Stretham Primary School 15 Mar

·         Ely local history festival

 

·         Exhibition opens at Burwell at Large

 

·         Exhibition to Burwell Library

 

April 2018

·         Exhibition in Newmarket Library

·         2 new windmill volunteers recruited

·         History Society talk 18 April

 

·         Visit from Castle School 23 April

      

·         Visit from Mepal and Witcham School 27 April

 

May 2018

·         Stall at Reach Fair

 

·         Talk to Burwell Day Centre

 

Still to come:

·         Community open weekend

·         Visit from Morley Memorial school

·         Visit from Cambridge Home Educating Families

·         Visit from Burwell Guides

·         Visit from Burwell Rainbows

·         Visit from Stetchworth WI

·         Visit from Castle School

·         Late opening for the festival on 14^th June

·         Burwell Carnival

·         Visit from Newmarket Sunshine Group

·         Visit from Burwell Beavers and Scouts

·         Visit from Year 1 at Burwell Village College

 

Many thanks to everyone who has been involved in the project –it’s being a great year!