A DECADE of restoration work on the historic Howsham Mill has entered its final chapter with a new statue being placed on the roof, writes Ollie Latus.

The statue of Diana the huntress will replace the original lead sculpture of the Roman goddess, most of which was taken for scrap.

The Renewable Heritage Trust, formed by Ryedale residents in 2004, has been organising the renovation of the Grade II listed building for nearly ten years. It sits on a tiny island in the river Derwent.

The project, funded in part by public donations and the Heritage Lottery Fund, was the brainchild of Mo MacLeod.

She said: “We are rapidly approaching finishing. We have been at it for about ten years.

“Really it should have been finished earlier this year, but we’ve been held up by the bad weather.”

Mrs MacLeod said the placement of the statue, which was created by wire– mesh sculptor Nikki Taylor, was a significant step towards completion.

She said: “It’s quite a landmark as to where we are. It’s a really poignant moment.

“We’re hoping to open it at the end of May or early June.

“There will be no admission fee to the island, and the building will be open for pre-booked groups.

“People will be able to hire it for anything, like parties and barbecues.

“I know that the people from Howsham don’t have a meeting place in the village, so it’s just a really nice venue for them to be able to come.

“After a decade of people volunteering their time and energy, we are nearly there now.

“We thought it might be done in two years and half a million pounds, but it has taken ten years and £1.2m. I think we just have to look at it and how beautiful it looks to vindicate a kind of lunatic decision to take it on.”

The mill was built for the Chomeley family in 1755 to grind grain and the last bag of flour was ground in 1947.

In 2006 the mill featured on the BBC’s Restoration Village, presented by Griff Rhys Jones, and won the north’s regional heat.

Although it wasn’t the overall winner, the mill did receive a £50,000 project planning grant for reaching the final.