The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

Maintenance of ancillary machinery & general issues of a working mill - Mildred Cookson

The course objectives are for delegates to:

• To gain an historical context for the construction and evolution of your mill.
• To develop a maintenance schedule for your mill covering weekly, monthly and annual maintenance schedules.
• To obtain practical guidance on how to run a working party; maintenance tasks including paints and materials, maintaining bearings, and effective cleaning of the mill; health & safety; risk assessment, etc.
• To understand how to record activities undertaken at the mill, capturing historical information and leaving full records for future generations of your actions.
• To develop an appreciation of the SPAB Mills Section’s philosophy on conservation, restoration and repair to ensure that the historic fabric of your mill is protected whilst allowing you to achieve your aims and objectives for the building.
• To help you develop constructive working relationships with all relevant stakeholders who have an interest in your mill, including English Heritage and local authorities.

The cost is £95 for bookings received by 31st July (£120 from 1st August).

Those who would benefit from this course include:

• Mill owners
• Volunteers or persons employed to work in mills
• Conservation officers
• Those working for amenity societies such as English Heritage and the National Trust.

The speakers are:

John Bedington

In 1978 John was approached by the owner of Charlecote Mill in Warwickshire for advice on its restoration. This resulted in him taking a tenancy of that mill and spending a lot of time in the next five years bringing the mill back to working order with the help of friends. In 1983 he gave up his job in a solicitor's office. Since then he has run the mill full time, grinding mainly wholemeal flour.  He is a former member of the SPAB Mills Section Committee.

Luke Bonwick

Luke is a milling heritage consultant and historic buildings surveyor. He is the author of several books, including Brill windmill, Buckinghamshire: the history, technology, conservation and repair of a 17th-century post mill (Buckinghamshire County Council) and Norfolk's windmills by river, road and rail (BMHC Publications). He has worked for the Mills Archive Trust since its inception in 2003.

Mildred Cookson

Mildred has been the miller at Mapledurham watermill for the last 30 years. As well as running the mill and carrying out day to day maintenance, she still does her own stone dressing. She was one of the founder members of the Traditional Corn Millers Guild and a Foundation Trustee of the Mills Archive Trust. She is a trustee of the SPAB, past-chairman and a member of the Mills Section Committee, and editor of the Section’s newsletter Mill news.

Vincent Pargeter

Vincent is a millwright who has many years experience working on both windmills and watermills, mainly in the east of England. He has written the two technical leaflets published so far by the SPAB Mills Section on Weatherboarding and Damp in brick windmill towers. He was the specialist mentor on the Broads Authority Bursary millwright training scheme. He is a long standing member of the Mills Section Committee.

Martin Watts

A millwright who has worked on both windmills and watermills in many parts of the country, Martin is also the author of several articles and books, including The archaeology of mills and milling (Tempus 2002), Water and wind power (Shire 2005), the Shire colour albums Windmills and Watermills (new editions 2011) and Corn milling (new edition, Shire 2008). He was one of the founder members of the Traditional Corn Millers Guild and is a former chairman of the SPAB Mills Section.