2007 new sweeps on the mill
Restoration
The restoration of the mill is, of course, well under way. We have, since taking on a 25-year lease of the mill complex from Ashford Borough Council, put on a new cap, replaced the stocks and sweeps, renewed the staging and are now in the process of replacing the smock. Most of the smock work was undertaken last year but there is still some to be done this year. When I say 'we' of course I mean our millwright Vincent Pargeter - he does all the serious work - the measuring, and planning, buying the appropriate wood, and putting it all together. Vincent works on a lot of mills In Norfolk and other areas and is not always available to come and work at Willesborough, so last year Bob Self and Paul Kemp did a lot of the work on the smock, replacing old wood with new, and finally giving the whole smock a final coat of paint (linseed oil based white), even painting over some of the old wood so that we had an all-white mill. When we get a space between weddings and Vincent is once again available the remaining two sides will be completed. We got the new sweeps with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Grant but funding for the rest of the restoration has been through weddings which take place in the base of the mill.
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