Saturday 9 August 2014

Update - 9 August 2014

It's been a while since we updated this Blog so here's what's been going on recently....

Since the sails were put on, the cap hasn't always been turning freely so it's been hard for the fantail to point the sails into the wind. To help the cap run more smoothly we have installed two skate bearings which greatly reduce the friction round the track below the cap.
Skate bearing
The cap was also distorting slightly when it turned, so we are aiming to stiffen it with metal girders. The girders were welded by Burwell firm N & G Marsh, and will be fitted in the next few weeks. They are very heavy and it will be quite a challenge for the Mill Team to lift them into place - they'll be hoisted through the trap doors used for taking sacks of grain to the top floor. That's the easy bit! Once the girders are on the top floor they will need to be installed in the cap. Easier said than done, but the Mill Team are confident they can meet the challenge.
Girders in the museum workshop in the process of being painted. You can get an idea of the size of the girders by comparing them to our ride-on lawn mower at the far end of the workshop.
 Waterproofing work on the cap is currently taking place (as you may have seen on the museum's Facebook page). This has involved hanging from the cap in a harness. Since the photo was taken a ladder has been purchased, which has been specially bent to the same curvature of the cap. It is hung from the finial and the person working on the waterproofing stands on the ladder but still wears a safety harness. This makes working much easier as tools can be hung on the ladder rungs. It is also more comfortable as the person's weight is not being taken by the harness the whole time! 
Waterproofing the cap

Friday 28 March 2014

Grand Reopening of Stevens Mill

On Sunday 13th April Burwell Museum Trust reopens its windmill, Stevens' Mill, to the public following a year-long restoration.
The museum site will be open to the public from 12 noon - 4pm. Free Admission!
The reopening ceremony of the windmill starts at 12.30pm - Sir James Paice MP will officially open the windmill at 12.45pm.
This will be a great day out for all ages - bread making demonstrations, a cake decorating competition (see poster below for competition info), a working forge, tours of the windmill, make your own windmill out of junk and much more including a Time Capsule put together by local school children being hidden in the windmill.
This form can be downloaded from our website. 
They will also be available from the museum on the day.


Monday 20 January 2014

Mill Sails Turning

Here's a short video of the sails turning on 16th January 2014.
Watch in 1080p HD Full Screen for best picture quality.                   Video by Peter Heath



Sunday 15 December 2013

Sails Go On

On Tuesday 10th December 2013 all four sails were fitted to the mill.
We are extremely grateful to the residents of Mill Close for putting up with the disturbance and any inconvenience that may have been caused.
Click on a photo to see a larger version. A video is to be found at the bottom of this page.
Before the sails went on.

Part of the Striking Gear on a sail.

The first sail goes on





Securing the first sail and attaching the striking gear.







The cherry picker stopped working so the Millwrights climbed the sail to tighten the bolts etc.


Add your own amusing caption!

About an hour later the first pair of sails have been turned to a horizontal position ready for the second pair to be fitted.


Neil, the Millwright, signals to the crane operator.






Luke Bonwick the Mill Consultant is interviewed for a visitor information video that will be played inside the mill.

Unhooking the crane from the sail. (Thankfully the cherry picker started working again after being turned off and on again!)

The fourth and final sail is lifted.



Neil prepares one of the nuts and bolts that secure the sail.

Four sails at last!

Neil shakes hands with Jane Phillimore, Fresh Wind in Our Sails Project Manager.

Neil also shakes hands with John Waller, one of the Museum Trustees. (Neil and his colleague Steve also received a round of applause from everyone watching the work)

The crane heads off.

Stevens' Mill seen from the museum site. The remaining shutters were fitted to the sails and the sails turned by the wind for the first time on Friday 13/12/13.



Video
This video is in HD. 
Watch in Full Screen (click on the square symbol bottom right), click the Play arrow then click on the gearwheel symbol to select picture quality.
Video by Peter Heath


Wednesday 4 December 2013

Sails!

Santa has come early at Burwell Museum and has given us 4 shiny sails for our windmill!
The sails (click here to see photos)
The windmill sails are due to be fitted on Tuesday 10th December.
Check our Facebook or Twitter pages for updates.


Friday 22 November 2013

Restoration Update - 22nd Nov 2013

Our millwrights have nearly finished the work on the windmill sails and now hope be be able to attach them to the mill sometime in the week commencing 8th December. The millwrights will need a couple of days to prepare the sails on site before they go on. Attaching the sails to the mill is a weather dependant operation - ideally a calm, dry day.
Our millwrights will update us closer to the time and we will the pass on this information as soon as possible.
Members of the public and media will be most welcome to watch the sails being attached.
Residents of Saxon Drive, Mill Lane and Mill Close will receive a letter from us to inform them of the work.

Before that, though, we are going to be on tv!
A couple of weeks ago a production company working for the BBC came to do some filming at Stevens' Mill which included interviews with Paul, the Museum Trust Chairman, Jane, Fresh Wind in Our Sails Project Manager, and Luke, Mill Consultant.
At the moment we don't know how much Burwell material will be shown in the programme. The programme is called Restoring England's Heritage and is due to be broadcast in the BBC Look East region on Thursday 5th December at 7:30pm. It should be available nationally after broadcast via the BBC iPlayer. More information here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03k1zh7


Wednesday 6 November 2013

Restoration Update - 6th November 2013

The last of the scaffolding surrounding the mill was removed today (6th November 2013) as the builders have now finished the painting of the exterior of the mill. This means that the site is now clear for our millwrights to install the 2 renovated and 2 new sails later this month (hopefully - weather permitting). Our volunteer "Shutter Team" have finished making and painting all the new shutters and these have been collected by the millwrights and fitted into the sails. The sails will remain at the millwrights yard in Lincolnshire until the installation day.
Keep checking this Blog or our Facebook or Twitter pages for the date of the installation of the sails.