Applicant: Cambridge Preservation Society
Location: Bourn, Cambridgeshire, East of England
Grant awarded: £38,300
Total project cost: £47,466
Grant programme: Your Heritage
Type of heritage: Historic buildings and sites
Aims of the project
To secure the future of a historic windmill, Bourn Mill, by restoring the stocks and sails and carrying out minor building repairs. To provide public interpretation in the form of leaflets, labels and signs.
Background to the project
Bourn Mill is a scheduled ancient monument and is listed Grade I. Its design remains largely unaltered since the 13th century, and it is thought to be the oldest windmill of its type in England. In 1926 the introduction of the paraffin engine made the mill redundant, and in 1932 it was given to Cambridge Preservation Society.
Cambridge Preservation Society was founded in 1928 to protect the character, amenities, historic buildings and setting of Cambridge and its surroundings. It does this by getting involved in debates about the future development of Cambridge, through running several heritage sites and opening these to the public, and through specific projects like the restoration of Bourn Mill. The Society has a management committee made up of local volunteers.
Bourn is an 'open trestle post mill'. This means that the mill’s body (or 'buck') is supported on a central post, which is in turn supported by a trestle. The buck has two floors. The upper floor contains the grinding stones, turned by wind power. To make the sails face squarely into the wind, the whole body of the mill, with all the machinery inside, has to be rotated around the central post using the tail pole. To stop the sails, the mill must be turned again so that they are 'on edge' to the wind.
Bourn Mill has undergone many repairs and rebuilds during its lifetime. There are even plans for work on the windmill prepared by the eminent contemporary architect Lord Foster when he was a student. In 1987 the Society’s earlier restoration of the mill won a Civic Trust Commendation and a Europa Nostra Diploma. By the late 1990s, further work was needed after the windmill’s sails and stocks (timbers supporting the sails) had become dangerously decayed and the building had to be closed to the public.
What did the project involve?
Before applying to HLF, Cambridge Preservation Society had gained a grant from English Heritage for a condition survey of the building. The results of the survey formed the basis of the HLF repair and restoration project. Most of the work involved the replacement of the 40-foot-long timber stocks, which hold the sails and fit into the metal canister (or hub) that connects the sails to the grinding machinery, and repairs to the sails themselves.
Interpretation was improved by installing updated signage and labelling, explaining the windmill’s history and how it works.
What difference did the project make?
Restoration of the windmill was completed in July 2003. It has allowed safe public access to the building, enabling many more people to enjoy this part of the region’s heritage. The sails now turn once again (although for safety reasons the mill is not used for grinding).
The project has been a boost to the morale of the Society’s volunteers, who run open days and demonstrations at the mill. Attendance at the first open day after the project’s completion was equivalent to visitor numbers for the whole season before that date. Links have been established with Bourn Primary School after a visit to the mill
How did the project meet our criteria?
The project met our Your Heritage criteria because it set out to:
care for and protect our heritage;
give people a better opportunity to experience heritage by improving access; and
help to improve people’s quality of life by benefiting the community and wider public.