Howsham Mill
{{Short description|Listed watermill in North Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
Howsham Mill is a Grade II listed{{cite news
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| title = Our heritage is crumbling away
| newspaper = Pickering Today
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| date = 11 July 2006
| url = http://www.pickeringtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2394&ArticleID=1621298
| accessdate = 5 January 2008}}
18th century watermill located on the River Derwent in North Yorkshire, England.
History
Howsham Mill dates back to {{circa|1755}} and is attributed to John Carr of York.{{cite news
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| title = Mill rescuers power ahead as waterwheel arrives by river
| newspaper = Yorkshire Post
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| date = 8 May 2006
| url = http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Mill-rescuers-power-ahead-as.1488671.jp
| accessdate = 5 January 2008}} It was built in the Gothic Revival style both as a working grist mill to grind grains into flour and as an eyecatcher or folly within the formal parkscape of nearby Howsham Hall.
The mill was powered by a breastshot waterwheel connected by a gear wheel to millstones that grind the grain into flour.
Milling of flour ceased in 1947 and the building fell into decay by the 1960s.{{cite news| title =Mill project wins 'hearts and minds' of planners| newspaper =Ryedale Gazette & Herald| date =18 January 2006| url =http://archive.gazetteherald.co.uk/2006/1/19/18755.html| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://archive.today/20070805210554/http://archive.gazetteherald.co.uk/2006/1/19/18755.html| archivedate =5 August 2007| accessdate = 5 January 2008}}
Restoration
File:Archimedean Screw Turbine at Howsham Mill.jpg ]]
In 2004 the Renewable Heritage Trust was formed by local residents with the intention of preserving and restoring the mill.{{cite news
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| title = Date set for Griff to showcase project on TV
| newspaper = Thornton-le-dale Today
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| date = 29 August 2006
| url = http://www.thornton-le-daletoday.co.uk/viewarticle2.aspx?sectionid=2398&articleid=1727561
| accessdate = 5 January 2008}}
Fund raising, volunteer labour and grant funding, totalling £450,000 has enabled the installation of a new waterwheel and a screw turbine based on the Archimedean screw principle to generate electricity and help fund the project in the long term.{{cite web| title =Architectural Heritage Fund - Annual Review 2006-07| publisher =Architectural Heritage Fund| year =2007| pages =39| url =http://www.ahfund.org.uk/docs/AHF%20Review_Web.pdf| accessdate =5 January 2008| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20111002214600/http://www.ahfund.org.uk/docs/AHF%20Review_Web.pdf| archivedate =2 October 2011}}
The first phase of the restoration was completed in 2007 and involved installing the new waterwheel and Archimedean screw as well as rebuilding the walls and roof of the granary to the north of the main building, allowing the installation of a kitchen and toilets as well as housing the control equipment for the hydro generation.{{cite web
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| title = Generating a new future
| newspaper = BBC North Yorkshire
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| date = 8 November 2007
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/articles/2007/11/06/howsham_mill_feature.shtml
| accessdate = 5 January 2008}}
File:Howsham Mill 04.jpgThe Mill was connected to the National Grid in 2010, allowing electricity generated to be sold. Restoration of the main part of the building was completed in 2013 providing facilities as an environmental study/community centre. A second, larger screw was commissioned in 2018 to provide additional hydro-electric generating capacity.{{Cite web
| title = Howsham Mill Renewable Heritage Trust
| accessdate = 25 April 2019
| url = http://howshammill.org.uk/about}}
''Restoration Village''
In 2006 Howsham Mill was featured on the BBC television programme Restoration Village presented by Griff Rhys Jones.{{cite news
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| title = Rural 'gems' in Restoration show
| newspaper = BBC News
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| date = 11 July 2006
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5167724.stm | accessdate=5 January 2010}}
It won the North regional heat and was featured in the live National Final on Sunday 17 September 2006. Although Howsham Mill did not win, a £50,000 Project Planning grant was won by reaching the final.{{cite web
| last = Swales
| first = Jeannie
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| title = Everyone's a winner...
| work = BBC Action Network
| publisher = BBC
| date = 19 September 2006
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/F?thread=3490473
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| accessdate = 5 January 2008 }}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Howsham Mill}}
- [http://www.howshammill.org.uk/ Howsham Mill Official Website]
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/restoration/2006/north_howsham_mill_01.shtml Howsham Mill on the BBC Restoration Website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071018203102/http://www.rht.greenisp.org/ Renewable Heritage Trust Website]
- {{NHLE|num=1316027|desc=Howsham Mill|accessdate=16 September 2023}}
{{coord|54.0560|-0.8862|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}
Category:Grade II listed buildings in North Yorkshire
Category:Grinding mills in the United Kingdom
Category:Watermills in North Yorkshire
Category:Tourist attractions in North Yorkshire
Category:River Derwent, Yorkshire