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The Howsham Mill Project
On a tiny island in the River Derwent at Howsham,
North Yorkshire, stands a Georgian watermill. Howsham Mill dates
back to c.1755 and is attributed to John Carr of York, more famous for
designing Fairfax House in York, and an extension to Castle Howard
stables. In 1965, a Royal Commission for Historic Monuments inspector,
James Williams, described the Mill as "...a building of the
maximum historical interest as a very early example of gothic Revival
style…" and "...of
great architectural interest
as it is a very rare example of the gothic Revival style as applied to a
functional building. (I cannot find reference to a similar example, eg
watermill)…".
Sadly, despite its Grade II listing, years of
vandalism and neglect have taken their toll and the Howsham Mill Project
now aims to rescue the building before it becomes irreparable.
The project is threefold:
1. Restoration of the Mill building as far as
possible back to its original state externally, for use as an
environmental study centre promoting renewable energy and local history
and wildlife. It will also be available for use as a community
venue for local people.
2. The reinstatement of the waterwheel will again
harness the power of the river, but rather than driving millstones, this
time will generate electricity.
It is the Trust’s aim to make the building totally
self-sustaining for the 21st century using revenue from power sales to
fund future restoration and conservation work at the site.
3. Preservation of the existing natural environment
including protection of peripheral cover for otter. Development of a
management plan which will allow increased public access to, and ensure
the future maintenance of this unspoilt area of woodland.
All of this we believe can be achieved with the absolute
minimum of visual and physical impact on the existing environment. It is
in no way the Trust’s intention to encourage large numbers of tourists
to descend on such a peaceful part of the country – rather to provide
improved access and facilities for local people whilst making a small
contribution towards reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, using
technology from the past to create ‘cleaner’ energy for the future.
Within the Mill’s walls, we hope to house a permanent
exhibition about
renewable energy and its importance for the twenty-first
century along side conservation information relating to the Site of
Special Scientific Interest in which the Mill stands.
The location of the Mill would also lend itself perfectly
to being a wild-life
hide.
The resource centre would cater only for pre-arranged
limited-number groups from schools and other interested bodies who would
be dropped off at Howsham Bridge and then walk the short distance to the
island via the existing public footpath. Local people would also be
encouraged to use the space as a Community Centre for meetings and
functions.
Clearly none of this will be undertaken without full
ecological surveys being carried out, and permissions granted from all
relevant authorities.
The Renewable Heritage Trust is a registered charity, and
is currently fundraising to meet the costs of this restoration.
In order to keep these costs as low as possible, we hope
to find volunteers to help but obviously there will be aspects which
require professional assistance.
If you feel you have any relevant skills, ideas for
fundraising or just the enthusiasm to help us rescue this glorious
building, we would love to hear from you!
Please see the
Getting Involved
section to see how. |
