Hello everyone! I am happy to announce that we have a new Heritage Partner! White Mill in Sandwich! Of course I have been browsing their website and I want to tell you a bit about them.
The mill itself is a smock mill and was built in 1760. It was restored between 1960 and 1981 with the help of Vincent Pargeter and a generous grant from the SPAB. The mill is surrounded by a series of outhouses such as an engine house and the miller’s cottage which was used by the Stanley family who ran the mill for almost 100 years! In the Victorian era the mill used to supply flour and animal food and even though it does not work nowadays, it is a protected historical site as it still contains all of the original wooden machinery that was used to operate the mill for all those years.
There are a series of exhibitions and museums in the miller’s cottage and other buildings surrounding the mill such as exhibitions on farming and craft tools, kitchen and laundry equipment and even a wheelwright’s workshop and a blacksmith’s workshop! – That will really transport you back in time!
Another exciting thing I saw on the website is that this mill has its own archive collection! They are in the process of digitizing their collection and although not all of the images are uploaded yet, there are some interesting objects on there such as an old iron bedstead from 1887 which I assume was maybe used by the Stanleys at one point!
As always, White Mill are looking for more volunteers to help out with the restoration and upkeep of the mill. They have a small group of dedicated volunteers already but it is always great to have new faces! As a volunteer you can take part in Centre events and help in the museums and the smooth running of the exhibitions and visit days. There are two positions open at the moment for a Renovation Project Manager and a Conservation/Cleaning Team member and you can download the application here – http://whitemillheritagecentre.org.uk/volunteer.php
Like in many of our Heritage Partner mills, if you wish to support them but just don’t have the time, you can become a friend which comes with its perks of free entry to the mill and all its special events and also obviously the reward of supporting a volunteer-run organisation that strives to come up with innovative and interesting ideas to keep White Mill appealing to visitors.
The Mill is open Sunday, Tuesday and Friday mornings from 10am to 12 and there are a couple of upcoming special events. The Mill will be open all three days of the Sandwich Festival on 29th-31st August and there are two English Heritage Open Days on the 12th and 13th September so go and have a wander round and check out what they have in store!
It is always great to gain new Friends and so a huge welcome to White Mill being part of the Mills Archive family!
Photos from the White Mill website – http://www.whitemillheritagecentre.org.uk/