Hello everyone! I would like to draw your attention today to Sacrewell Watermill, one of our Heritage Partners. You might recognise the name because we wrote a small blog previously about the Sacrewell Watermill Restoration Project. Well I am now pleased to say that the project is very nearly complete and the official opening weekend is on the 18th July!
As always, I was having a browse on the website, which is really lovely and clear with some stunning photos, and I found out a bit about the history of Sacrewell. The watermill is an 18th century watermill with a southern mid-19th century iron waterwheel with timber shafts that may date as far back as the 18th century. The earliest definite record of a watermill on the site is 1086 in the Domesday Book although there is evidence to suggest that the Romans were using waterpower at Sacrewell hundreds of years earlier when excavations at the farm uncovered two Roman villas, a corn driver and a storage building. These Romans were also the first to harness water power to mill grain by building a raised ditch from the spring (now the River Nene) to fill the millpond.
Above is a screenshot of the stunning Sacrewell website.
In 1525 Sacrewell farm was given to Sir John Russell, Earl of Bedford who was a generous land owner and innovator introducing new techniques and crops to improve farming and soil. In 1750 water and steam machinery took over and the number of employees at Sacrewell dropped from about twenty to just three. The current mill was built in 1755 and was working until 1965 when it was no longer profitable.
As you know, the mill has nearly finished its £1.4 million renovation from the Heritage Lottery Fund which includes introducing a hydro-electric generator. The restoration project has two main elements: to restore the building and mill machinery and to install new learning resources. The website states ‘This will perpetuate and explain the ancient trade of milling for future generations’. From what I have read, the detail in the restoration itself is immaculate. As much of the original material in the mill will be retained and preserved wherever possible and if new elements are needed, they will serve to reinforce the original character and quality of the architecture so as not to look out of place.
Another exciting activity available at Sacrewell is the farm, where you can take a ramble down the Amble Gamble (try saying that five times in a row!) and follow the wildlife trail as well as meeting the farm animals such as the friendly Shire horses. You can also visit Animal Village where you can have tractor rides and pet guinea pigs, chickens, ferrets, degus, mice and rats. I might give those last two a miss…!
Here is how the mill used to look in 1967 (photo taken by E M Gardner):
But the watermill opening weekend is not the only thing to look forward to at Sacrewell. From 11th July to 6th September Sacrewell is open for the Summer with fun family events on every day! On 12th July there is the Peterborough bus and commercial vehicle rally and on 18th July (as well as the opening of the windmill) Sacrewell will be celebrating the power of water, hosted by the Peterborough Society of Model Engineers.
I could tell you so much more but I’ll leave you to have a look at the website here and please try and make it to the opening weekend so you can see what a fantastic opportunity the Heritage Lottery Fund have given Sacrewell and how they have used the grant to restore a historical site as well as creating new activities which emphasise and remind us of the value of learning about our heritage.
We’ve also got a featured page about Sacrewell on our website – click here.