A £1.8m restoration of an 18th century grade II* listed watermill near Peterborough won Project of the Year at the East of England Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) awards last week. The photo shows Mill Project Officer Jane Harrison and Learning & Interpretation Officer Nikki Cherry with their awards outside Sacrewell Mill.
Sacrewell Mill near Wansford reopened last July after a 12-month project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the William Scott Abbott Trust, which owns Sacrewell Farm.
The mill, which before the restoration was listed on Historic England’s ‘at risk’ register, also won awards in Building Conservation and Tourism and Leisure, entering the project into the RICS Awards Grand Final in London in October, where it will compete with other regional winners, including Hampton Court Palace.
The mill was nominated for the awards by architectural practice Purcell which worked alongside Jane, project and cost managers The Clarkson Alliance and building firm, Messenger Construction.
As part of the project supported by money from National Lottery players, the back wall of the mill was waterproofed, the waterwheel was repaired thanks to the expertise of Lincolnshire firm Traditional Millwrights, the walls were secured and the Collyweston slate roof was removed, cleaned and restored.
The judges from RICS were particularly impressed with the mill’s educational offer. The mill and mill house have been interpreted throughout to reflect Victorian and Second World War working conditions, using the testimonies of people who worked at the mill during both periods found during extensive research by the team. A hydro-electric water turbine has been installed inside the stables to boost the educational value of the mill and to help cut the cost of powering it.
Sacrewell Mill is a Mills Archive Heritage Partner. Read more about the history of the mill on our website here or for a full history of Sacrewell, go to to their website.
To download a copy of their press release, click here.
