A six sailed, six-storey, brick tower Mill

Currently in the guardianship of English Heritage, it is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade I-listed Building.

There were two critical issues identified at the outset of this project. Firstly, the protective coal tar coating had not been replaced for almost twenty years and was in a considerable state of disrepair with surface cracking and crazing. The second issue concerned underlying issues of misalignment, rot and decay to the cap and sails, putting the mill and turning gear under significant
stress.

Restoring the historic Mill to working order

The comprehensive program of repairs included traditional millwrighting and building repair works following the removal of any existing coal tar.

Detailed condition surveys were carried out in two separate stages, one to the millwrighting elements (in close collaboration with a specialist mill consultant) and one to the tower fabric.

To the tower, a series of cleaning trials were first carried out to establish the most effective and least harmful process of removing the existing coal tar. A systematic approach was then taken from ground level and by cherry picker to identify structural cracking to the fabric, severely eroded brickwork, and areas of inappropriate repairs where some engineering bricks had been used as pieced-in repairs.