FLOUR could be ground again by the end of the year at York's only surviving windmill - 75 years after it was closed down.
The Lincolnshire-style tower mill, which was built in 1770 and stopped working in 1933, is currently undergoing a renovation programme through a partnership between City of York Council and Holgate Windmill Preservation Society.
Bob Anderton, chairman of the preservation society, is now applying for final grants to finish of the restoration.
If successful, Mr Anderton said the windmill could be renovated by the end of the year.
He said: "We have just applied for funding of £44,000 from a private organisation - and if we get approved then it looks like we are then pretty close to getting all the money we need to fully restore the windmill."
"We have got all the parts for the caps and sails so that just needs to be assembled and be craned on top of the windmill.
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"If any, the only problem I would say we have is getting the millwright on the site. Millwrights are few and far between in the country - it is a dying profession.
"Millwright Tom Davies is working on the windmill and we are lucky in that he is one of the best in the country, but he is obviously very busy with other projects, but once we get him on site work should progress well."
The preservation society has so far, along with funds given by the council, raised £500,000 to restore the Grade II listed building, which is the last existing windmill of nearly 20 mills which once surrounded York.
The biggest contributors inlcude £66,500 from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £25,000 from environmental body Yorventure, and £22,000 from the Local Heritage Initiative. Environmental charity GrantScape gave the society a boost of funds in December last year with a grant of £97,856.
The cash has gone towards a newly renovated and rendered brick tower, a new white cap on the top of the mill and is currently funding the renovation of the inside of the mill.
Mr Anderton said: "At the moment a lot of work is going on inside the windmill.
"We have several joiners currently on site working on putting flooring down and then they will begin putting an oak staircase and banisters inside.
"Things are progressing nicely; work is going very well indeed."
Have your say
Do you think it is important
to preserve the mill?
Posted by: petethefeet, York on 11:41pm Thu 3 Apr 08
Preserve it yes but make it operational once again....errrr..no! When it was a working mill, it sat in the middle of a field. Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.
Preserve it yes but make it operational once again....errrr..no! When it was a working mill, it sat in the middle of a field. Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.
Posted by: Paul Hepworth, York on 9:09am Fri 4 Apr 08
[quote][bold]petethefeet[/bold] wrote:
Preserve it yes but make it operational once again....errrr..no! When it was a working mill, it sat in the middle of a field. Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.[/quote] When we applied for planning Consent to restore Holgate Mill, we advised CoYC Planners of a similar suburban mill in Lincoln. We had visited it earlier and found that it is whisper quiet in operation. In fact the greatest ambient noise came from a nearby resident who was using an electric trimmer on his hedge!
I'm pleased to say that this Mill provided a useful comparator for Holgate, and we subsequently received Planning Consent for Holgate's restoration. This Consent does restrict the hours between which the Mill may be open to the public. Within that is a more onerous restriction on the hours between which we can operate the sails.
If Windy Miller turns up with his P45 he may be disappointed as some of my colleagues are to attend professional training courses on safe Milling.
Paul H.
Press Officer
Holgate Windmill Preservation Society
petethefeet wrote:
Preserve it yes but make it operational once again....errrr..no! When it was a working mill, it sat in the middle of a field. Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.
When we applied for planning Consent to restore Holgate Mill, we advised CoYC Planners of a similar suburban mill in Lincoln. We had visited it earlier and found that it is whisper quiet in operation. In fact the greatest ambient noise came from a nearby resident who was using an electric trimmer on his hedge!
I'm pleased to say that this Mill provided a useful comparator for Holgate, and we subsequently received Planning Consent for Holgate's restoration. This Consent does restrict the hours between which the Mill may be open to the public. Within that is a more onerous restriction on the hours between which we can operate the sails.
If Windy Miller turns up with his P45 he may be disappointed as some of my colleagues are to attend professional training courses on safe Milling.
Paul H.
Press Officer
Holgate Windmill Preservation Society
I used to play around this mill when I was a kid :) My Gran lived just across the road and would be chuffed to bits to see it working again instead of going to ruin. I'll visit when it opens.
I used to play around this mill when I was a kid :) My Gran lived just across the road and would be chuffed to bits to see it working again instead of going to ruin. I'll visit when it opens.
Paul H.
Press Officer
Holgate Windmill Preservation Society
Hope you've warned all the pedicab deliveries/dispaches and cycling flour purchasers about the hilly pot holed accessibility?
Paul H.
Press Officer
Holgate Windmill Preservation Society
Hope you've warned all the pedicab deliveries/dispaches and cycling flour purchasers about the hilly pot holed accessibility?
Posted by: Paul Hepworth, York on 2:34pm Fri 4 Apr 08
[quote][bold]ennoch[/bold] wrote:
Paul H. Press Officer Holgate Windmill Preservation Society Hope you've warned all the pedicab deliveries/dispaches and cycling flour purchasers about the hilly pot holed accessibility?[/quote] you must be thinking about my twin brother, the pedal cycling fanatic...!
ennoch wrote:
Paul H. Press Officer Holgate Windmill Preservation Society Hope you've warned all the pedicab deliveries/dispaches and cycling flour purchasers about the hilly pot holed accessibility?
you must be thinking about my twin brother, the pedal cycling fanatic...!
Posted by: D Armstrong, York on 2:45pm Fri 4 Apr 08
[quote]Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.[/quote] I doubt the occupants of Windmill Rise will appreciate that comment, how about quiet residential area?
Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.
I doubt the occupants of Windmill Rise will appreciate that comment, how about quiet residential area?
Posted by: D Armstrong, York on 2:45pm Fri 4 Apr 08
[quote]Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.[/quote] I doubt the occupants of Windmill Rise will appreciate that comment, how about quiet residential area?
Nowadays, it sits in the middle of an housing estate.
I doubt the occupants of Windmill Rise will appreciate that comment, how about quiet residential area?
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