There was much excitement at the Mills Archive when the Northwestern Miller journals arrived from the Riley, Dunn & Wilson bindery in Scotland. The binding, along with the shelves for them, was made possible by funds from the Mercers’ Company. There were 33 boxes to take off the van. Let’s see what they are like!…
Author: Elizabeth Trout
Another ‘busman’s holiday’ – the Mills Archive visit to the Berkshire Record Office
In December, you may remember that we were visited by staff at the Berkshire Record Office. Recently, we made a return visit to BRO. I wrote about BRO’s previous visit here. BRO is in a modern purpose built archive on the outskirts of Reading Town Centre. It stands in the grounds of Yeomanry House, which houses…
The Mills Archive awarded a grant from the Mercers’ Company to develop the Library and Reading Room
To mark National Libraries Day last weekend, it’s time to share to some exciting grant news from our library. Here at the Mills Archive we have our own Library which is an outstanding and important collection; the largest single Library on mills and milling in the UK and probably worldwide. Visitors to the Archive have…
Local archivists on a ‘busman’s holiday’
Over the past two weeks, the local Berkshire Record Office in Reading has been closed for its annual stocktake and housekeeping. The staff also take the opportunity for an annual visit to an archive. This year they asked if they could visit the Mills Archive to find out more about our resources and services, particularly…
Fire at t’mill – the 3500th press cutting and accompanying images from the Peter Dolman Collection
Last Friday, Talbot Green, a stalwart volunteer, reached a milestone – uploading the 3500th press cutting onto our Archive Catalogue. It recorded a significant event – Wangford Smock Mill, Suffolk ablaze on 7 August 1928 as it crashed to the ground! Fire is an ever present risk as flour is highly combustible. Added to a…
Exploring the Mills Archive
The annual National Archives “Explore Your Archive” campaign from 14-22 November helps archives to promote their services and collections, and encourages people to visit archives for research or general interest. We would like to encourage all mill researchers to visit our Archive and Reading Room in Reading, just like Graham Allen did when he visited…
Frank W. Gregory (1917-1998)
1: A Milling Hero2: Early life & World War II3: Industrial archaeology & SPAB4: International molinology & TIMS5: Mill research & expertise6: Woodwork teacher & millwright7: Mill restoration projects8: Restoration of Nutley Mill9: Restoration of Polegate Mill10: Restoration of Shipley Mill11: Restoration of High Salvington Mill12: Restoration of Jill Mill, Clayton13: Restoration of Park Mill,…
Graffiti scrawled on Rottingdean Windmill
The BBC has reported that graffiti has been daubed on Grade II listed Rottingdean Windmill, on the outskirts of Brighton. It is thought to have been defaced on Sunday night. A local resident, who lives near the windmill and also had his wall defaced, said he chased the culprits, two men in their late teens…
Historic Caerlee Mills in Innerleithen closes
The BBC has announced that Caerlee Mills in Innerleithen, in the Scottish Borders, has shut with the loss of 33 jobs. Three staff have been retained to help in winding down the business. The image is from the mill’s website. Efforts to save Scotland’s oldest continually-operating textile mill from closure failed with the gates of the…
Yet another fire at Sion Mills
Avid readers of Mill Writing may recall an item from Richard Mallett last October about a fire at Sion Mills. Well, now there has been another. The latest fire is described in the Belfast Telegraph: “Strabane Mill damaged by Fire”. The listed Herdman’s Mill at Sion’s Mill, Strabane has been damaged by fire in the…