Evaluation Report for the project to restore Howsham Mill
Summary
The project to restore Howsham Mill started in 2004 with the acquisition of the derelict mill
and the island on which it stands by the newly-formed Renewable Heritage Trust (RHT).
The restoration of the building was in two phases; phase 1 rebuilding the single storey
granary to be the kitchen and to house electrical control equipment was completed in 2007.
Concurrently the waterwheel was restored and the first Archimedes Screw turbine in the UK
installed, both connected to generators and by February 2010 exporting electricity to the
National Grid. In October 2011, the HLF awarded RHT a grant to restore the main part of
the building and provide three years’ of support for heritage learning, phase 2 of the
project. The building work started in June 2012 and was completed in August 2013. The
high quality of the restoration has been recognised locally and nationally. The swing bridge
across the canal around the weir and used by the horse-drawn carts when a working mill,
was restored and replaced in 2015. The mill has been used as an environmental education
centre for visiting school groups and other students to learn about renewable energy and
the natural heritage of the area. Another main use has been the provision of craft courses.
The building is also used for a range of meetings and events and is open to the public every
Sunday and on public holidays. Group guided tours are offered by arrangement. The island
is open at all times. The achievements, problems and challenges of the restoration and the
operation the building are described. Overall the project has been a success and without it
none of the benefits seen today would have been realised.
Aims of the project
The restoration of Howsham Mill began in 2004 with the formation of the Renewable Heritage Trust
and the first groundworks. Restoring this most unusual building back to its former glory first caught
the imagination of Mo MacLeod and Dave Mann. They bought the mill and the island on which it
stands and later made it over to the RHT, which they formed together with enough other people
who shared their vision. At the time it seemed just a dream that the building could be restored, but
slowly that dream has been realised over the subsequent 11 years. The dream also included
generation of hydro-electricity by restoring the waterwheel and connecting it to a generator rather
than driving stones to grind corn as was its purpose up until 1947. The weir next to the mill had the
potential to install what would be the first Archimedes Screw turbine in the country. This would give
the building a new use appropriate for the 21st century, generating renewable power. Income from
electricity sales would provide the economic sustainability vital for any project.
With the location of the mill on a small island in the River Derwent, one of the best lowland rivers in
England for its wildlife value and consequently designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI),
the building would lend itself as an environmental education centre. It is close to the village of
Howsham, which does not have a village hall, so the building could serve as a community meeting
place. An early idea was to make it a camping barn so that walkers could use it for overnight stays
and there was interest from the Youth Hostel Association in this regard.
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These then were the ideas for the future in the minds of the original trustees and supporters, even if
at times they seemed too ambitious for a small group of volunteers to achieve. For official bodies
connected with heritage and conservation it did seem too much to achieve and their response was
generally, ‘don’t bother, you’ll never restore the mill.’
Achieving the aims
The mill was a ruin surrounded by trees and bushes some of which were threatening to fall on the
walls, so the first task was to fell all the trees within close proximity. As the island is part of the SSSI,
approval for work had to be obtained from English Nature now Natural England. Once tree surgeons
had cleared the trees, volunteers could start removing other vegetation and the many cubic metres
of silt that had been deposited over nearly 60 years since the mill was abandoned. This process
involved several hundreds of volunteers and on many Sundays people would happily help in what
seemed a mammoth task and share in the common purpose, each one leaving with a small sense of
achievement and a day well spent.
The first milestone was in May 2006 with the installation of a working waterwheel, demonstrating
that the mill could work again and had the potential to generate electricity. Later that year the mill
was included in the BBC Restoration Village programme, winning the northern heat and making it to
the final. It was not the winner, but later received some money left over after the winning project
had received all the funding it needed. It showed the interest in the project and spurred on the
volunteers. An application to Defra for a Rural Enterprise Grant was successful for the rebuilding of
the smaller granary to make a kitchen and place to house all the electrical control equipment for the
hydro systems. The RHT had to provide match funding and put in some labour. The build
highlighted the need for close control and oversight of the work and contractors to achieve what we
wanted and to avoid going over budget. The experience convinced trustees that for phase 2 of the
project, a more professional approach was needed where a professional team would be used for
preparing all the plans and specification and for project management. By the end of 2007 part of the
mill was secure, dry and warm and the installation of the electrical equipment could begin. The
Archimedes Screw was installed with great effort in February 2007, but it was the following year
before it was generating. In 2009 the waterwheel was running a generator and finally in February
2010 both were connected to the grid so that electricity could be exported and sold.
Apart from paying for some part-time project management of the granary build, all the management
work of the trust is done by volunteers. The development of the hydro systems was done by Dave
Mann who had set up a company to install Archimedes Screw turbines in the UK and Howsham was
his first site. Because of funding constraints the project proceeded incrementally, with decisions
made to go ahead without having all the funding in place or knowing where it would come from. If
we had not had the confidence to work this way, it is unlikely we would be in the position we are
today.
The application to HLF for a phase 1 grant was approved in September 2010. This allowed RHT to
collect all the necessary information together to show that phase 2 of the project, restoring the main
part of the building and using it as an environmental education centre and meeting place, was
viable. The onerous task of producing a budget also began. By now the idea of using the building as
a camping barn was less attractive due to the demands on facilities and regular staffing it would
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impose. The phase 2 application to HLF was successful and in October 2011 the grant was approved.
Match funding was secured from the Country Houses Foundation, RHT and a private donor. The
latter had provided funds earlier in the project, but unfortunately did not honour his promise for
match funding of phase 2.
The professional team used for the phase 1 grant was employed for phase2 and once all the plans
and specifications were ready, the contract was put out to tender. The contract was awarded to
Stephen Pickering Traditional Building Services Ltd. He was known to us and knew the building and
offered the best combination of experience and price and of those interviewed was the chosen
candidate. The interviews were done by the project manager, who was also the structural engineer,
the quantity surveyor and two trustees, one of whom would provide the client liaison. This close
involvement of the trustees in the tendering process was vital in making sure that we were all
confident in achieving the restoration that we wanted. Stephen Pickering had included in his tender
three main sub-contractors for joinery, electrical work and roofing, all of whom also met our
requirements.
Work finally began on 11 June 2012 after all the legal work was completed, a process that was
longer than expected and co-ordinated by a trustee. The logistics of the site are challenging – no
vehicular access and next to a river. One of the attributes of Stephen Pickering is that he likes a
challenge and had thought about how to cope with the problems. The site flooded four times during
the build in what was the wettest winter on record in Yorkshire, but the building proved resilient and
the design features to cope with flooding worked. About three months were lost to bad weather
and although some downtime was anticipated, this was exceptional. The building was signed off by
Building Control in August 2013.
Despite all the plans and specifications, site decisions had to be made regularly and the time allowed
for this by the project manager and architect was insufficient. The need for on-site liaison with the
representative for the trust was therefore vital in making sure the build progressed without delay
and that any changes from the plans and specifications would be acceptable to the trust.
The result of all the planning and preparations and the quality of the workmanship can be seen in
the finished building. It has been universally admired for the quality, accuracy and faithfulness of
the restoration to the original. Consequently it is a testament to all who worked on the building.
When the building was listed it was recognised as a most important and unusual example of its kind;
now it has been restored the quality of the restoration has been recognised both locally and
nationally. The nine years or so that it took is a testament to the perseverance of the trustees, many
of whom saw through the whole process. Without their perseverance, it is likely that the building
would now be past the state at which it could be restored; its only use would have been to provide
stone for another building project.
The original swing bridge over the canal, across which the horse-drawn carts brought sacks of corn
for grinding at the mill, has been replaced by one made of a galvanised steel frame. Oak decking,
side rails and cladding have been bolted onto the frame so that it looks like a timber bridge. The
bridge swings on a new pivot. The design is based on an original drawing of a 19th century swing
bridge over the Kennet and Avon canal. The stone buttresses that support the bridge have been
repaired by Stephen Pickering to the same standard as the building. The steel frame and pivot were
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built and supplied by TWS Ltd and the oak cladding by Yorkshire Oak Frames Ltd. The quality of the
work is excellent. The bridge will make it much easier to bring heavy items to the mill in future.
A timber shed has been constructed by the same woodworker who made the two bridges on the
island. It blends in with the surroundings and will provide secure storage for items that cannot be
stored in the limited space available in the building.
The intention was always that the building would be used as much as possible and as part of the HLF
grant, three years’ funding for an education and events officer was provided together with materials
needed to equip and promote the mill. The first incumbent to the post was Liz Vowles who started
on 1 October 2012 doing three days per week. Her first job was to re-write the activity plan, which
was accepted by HLF in March 2013. It set out the courses, school visits, events and other activities
proposed for the next three years, to be modified in the light of experience. She worked with a local
company to develop a new website and a computer animation of the mill as it used to be when
grinding corn. Looking through the proposed list of activities, all but one has been tried. The more
successful ones have been repeated. The following is a description of activities organised.
Craft courses have been run for a number of years and were expanded during 2013 covering willow
weaving, mosaics, woodwork, stone carving, wood turning and bushcraft. In 2014 they also included
painting and drawing. A similar range of subjects was organised for 2015. The majority of courses
were run successfully, if less than half the places were filled the course was cancelled. These were in
autumn and winter, spring and summer being more popular times of the year. In 2015, 186 people
attended 26 courses. Costs were subsidised from electricity sales income so prices were kept low to
make sure that those on low incomes could attend. Feedback from participants has been good. The
view was that the mill provided an ideal venue for craft courses.
Before the phase 2 restoration started there were two open air screenings in the roofless building
that attracted good audiences, partly for the novelty of the first hydro-powered outdoor cinema in
this country. These were part of the Screenwaves programme in North Yorkshire. In 2015 the mill
became a venue showing films as part of Cine North, bringing cinema to rural locations. Seven films
were shown over a period from spring to autumn, with attendance varying from sold out to just a
few. The choice of film is critical and getting that right is not so easy.
Liz Vowles left in August 2013 to take up a teaching post. She was replaced by Jen Wakefield who
started on 1 November 2013. She was able to take advantage of contacts Liz had made with schools,
the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Howardian Hills AONB. This resulted in the mill hosting visits of rural
Ryedale primary schools and urban primary schools in York and Hull in a school twinning project.
The schools chose either a renewable energy theme or a bread-making theme. Both courses
allowed the children to learn how the mill worked in the past and how it works today and to
participate in a practical activity. There were 12 schools involved that brought about 350 pupils over
six days. It was clear from talking to pupils and teachers at the end of the visits and from feedback
collected from teachers after their visits, which they were successful in showing the pupils
renewable energy generation first hand and in being able to participate in making models of
waterwheels or to make bread. However attracting schools groups to visit has been more difficult
than anticipated. Teachers have a choice of venues to take pupils, and in particular the cost of
transport is high and a major limiting factor for any school trip. To meet these challenges, our visits
are designed to meet the requirements of key stages in the school curriculum, notes have been
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prepared for teachers and in some cases we have subsidised transport costs. In total since the start
of the project about 650 pupils from 21 schools (one school has made two visits with another two
postponed to next term) and one home schooled group have come to the mill for an organised visit.
These have mostly been primary school pupils. In addition approximately 100 students from Bishop
Burton College, Askham Bryan College and Kirklees College have all made visits relevant to courses
they are pursuing. We have allowed some groups to camp overnight on the island when we are
confident there is the right supervision.
Recently we have recruited a local primary school head teacher as a trustee. Helen Minnikin-Spring,
who is a teacher, has taken over the education remit from Jen Wakefield who left in September
2015. We hope that together they will be able to persuade more schools to visit.
The mill has also been used by organisations as a venue for training courses. One subject it has
proved very suitable for is training in forest school techniques. Having its own hydro systems it was
an obvious venue for the British Hydro Association to use for a training course. We hope to expand
this way of using the building - providing a suitable venue for others to provide the training.
During 2014, the mill was the base of the local Norton Wildlife Watch group. Several joint events
with the group were held at the mill, though practical problems meant that the group moved
elsewhere the following year. Visitors do come to the island to watch birds and to look for the otters
that live along the river. One trustee with the help of other volunteers built a timber bird-hide at the
top of the island that gives a good view of the river, the weir and the canal.
The proposal in the activity plan to establish regular groups such as a book group, writers’ group and
yoga classes has been the least successful of all the ideas tried. This may be because similar groups
operate elsewhere in Ryedale, often in one of the towns, which are easier to reach and allow a visit
to a group event to be combined with other activities.
One major annual open day has been the weekend of the national Heritage Open Day (HOD) which
is held each September and promoted by English Heritage. The themes we have chosen for the day
have included demonstrating traditional building techniques, the mill as it was when grinding corn
and bread-making, and in 2015 a local music festival. Attendance has been as many as the site can
cope with, between 150 and 200 people in a day. About 180 came to see the building work in
progress during HOD 2012. This followed a ‘meet the contractor’ weekend on 18/19 August when
Stephen Pickering built a small lime kiln to make lime mortar that he then used to demonstrate
rendering and other techniques to about 200 visitors. We have participated in other national events
including British Science Week, National Mills weekend and Climate Week.
Another regular feature has been a Christmas Fair in December. In the early years this was
volunteers sharing mulled wine and mince pies around a fire. In recent years we have invited local
artisans to sell seasonal items and crafts. For 2015 it is the story behind and readings from Charles
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol given by the Malton Dickens Society.
Canoeists are regular visitors to the island, using both the weir and a slalom course downstream
from the waterwheel outflow. Each July the mill hosts a large regional slalom competition,
attracting people who may not otherwise visit.
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During the summers of 2013 and 2014, the mill and island hosted a week long summer camp for
children aged between about 8 and 14 years. It was organised by a person with experience of
summer camps in the US, we provided the facilities. Although the numbers attending were less than
the organiser hoped for, those that did come enjoyed a wide range of outdoor and some indoor
activities, demonstrating how suitable the mill is for such uses. The same person has organised a
weekend film-making course for children in the same age group.
The mill is open every Sunday and on public holidays for guided tours around the building for casual
visitors. Numbers coming vary greatly based on time of year and weather, but can be 50 or more on
a warm sunny day. Such visitors are often surprised and pleased to find a guide to talk to them and
are consequently very appreciative. For this task we have recruited some volunteer guides to help
the trustee on duty. Sunday is also a day for maintenance and repair and other volunteers will come
to help. In the last three years we have given 32 groups a guided tour by arrangement, sometimes
focussing on their special interest. Trustees have also given eight off-site talks, some of which have
led to the group later visiting the mill
A rough estimate of total annual visitors is between 1500 and 2000, though no attempt is made to
count numbers accurately. The island is open all year round and we know that people come to enjoy
the peace and quiet of the site during the week.
The difference made by the project is clear. We have restored a wonderful building for future
generations to admire and enjoy. It will continue generating renewable electricity for many years to
come. Many uses have been found for the building and more will come in the future. The high
regard that the building has fostered is demonstrated by those organisations who have looked at us
and other projects and decided we are worthy of their awards. In 2014 we won English Heritage’s
Heritage Angel Award for the best restoration of an industrial building. The judges noted how we
have beautifully restored an 18th century building to give it a 21st century use. The Heritage Alliance
made us their joint Heritage Hero of 2014. The quality of the restoration was highly commended by
The Georgian Society in 2014. In 2015 we won the Green Apple Champion of Champions award.
Closer to home the project was Ryedale District Council’s Rural Green project of 2013 and the main
contractor Stephen Pickering received an award from the York Guild of Building, also in that year.
Review
There can be no doubt that the restoration of the mill building has been a great success. The
reasons for this are several. A carefully prepared and realistic budget meant that there was no need
to accept the cheapest or compromise the quality of the materials and expertise. The professional
team, with one exception, were all enthusiastic about the project and gave it the attention and
effort it deserved. It was not just another job. The choice of the main contractor was crucial. We
needed a company which was the right size that we felt we could deal with on a personal level and
not feel intimidated. By having a main contractor who dealt with the sub-contractors avoided any
confusion and problems with the timetable for the build.
‘A good building project has a good client’ (Kevin McCloud). The commitment and close involvement
of the trustees who prepared the budget, scrutinised the plans and specifications and supervised the
building work was a crucial ingredient in the success of the project. I am sure that the professional
team would agree with that as well.
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The long-term financial sustainability and future of the whole Howsham Mill project will be due to
the income from electricity sales from the hydro-electricity generation. Finding sources of income to
continue any project is always a challenge and for Howsham Mill not only is income assured, but the
way that income is generated is wholly appropriate to today’s needs and the site. It leads directly to
the environmental education purpose that the HLF grant has supported in its first three years and
will be continued because of the electricity sales income.
While those closely involved with the project, education consultants and teaching professionals who
have been involved in preparing materials or teachers who have just made a casual visit, can see the
huge potential for educational visits, turning that into pupils on the ground has been more difficult
than anticipated. We will continue to refine the content of visits to make them appropriate to the
curriculum needs of the pupils and if funds permit, help with transport costs. Ultimately it is up to us
to generate the enthusiasm in teachers to make the effort to bring their classes to the mill.
We will no doubt find new ways of using the building over the coming years. The craft courses have
been a good way of using an attractive unusual building and for the most part have been successful.
The original idea of the subsidy was to attract people on low incomes who would otherwise not
come. That has not really happened and the majority of course participants are older, often retired
people who could probably afford the full cost. We will continue to provide the building as a free
venue, but reduce direct subsidy. We have also found advertising courses and the mill in general a
challenge. People who live locally still come on a first visit and say, ‘we didn’t know you were here.’
Promoting the mill as an interesting and enjoyable place to visit is a continuing task. Equally there is
a limit to the numbers we can accommodate in the building and with the limited parking space
available.
We have been open to all suggestions for use of the building and will continue to welcome ideas for
events, meetings, training and similar. We hope to host our first drama event early next year. While
many local societies have had guided tours around the building, we expect this role to continue. We
are seeking planning permission approval to be able to hire the building out for corporate events
such as away-day meetings, training etc. The mill offers a secluded, relaxed and attractive venue for
such uses and would provide another source of income for RHT.
The role of education and events officer is not an easy one. The job is part-time, the hours have to
be very flexible and it can be a lonely job as the incumbent has to do much of the work on their own.
Line management is by volunteer trustees, which has potential problems. While the two previous
post holders were committed and performed the role diligently and the current arrangement is
working well, finding and appointing the right person into the future will not be easy. There is
regular maintenance and cleaning of the building that is presently done by volunteers, but in future
could be a paid caretaker role. This would make sure that no volunteer felt obliged and became
over-committed, and to make sure that the work is done to an acceptable standard.
The project has provided a lot of volunteering opportunities. Finding the right people and being able
to meet their aspirations and needs as volunteers is not as straight forward as it might seem and
imposes quite a responsibility on the trustees. Thus we have lost some capable people, probably
because they have not felt entirely comfortable and we may not have provided enough of an
induction into the mill or the necessary training. We will continue to need skilled help in particular
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in future and will aim to provide a place where people can contribute, feel welcome and
appreciated.
None of what is described in this report would have happened if the vision of a small group of
people in 2004 had not grown into the restored mill seen today, all the activities it provides and the
approximately 830,000 kWh of electricity generated to date and much more to come.
December 2015
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East elevation 1950
First sight 2003
Granary 2003
Granary 2007
Transporting the Archimedes Screw
Delivering materials
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Doing it the hard way
New slate roof
Flooded four times
A croketted finial
Detailed lead flashing
Diana
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South elevation
East elevation
Across the river
Downstairs
Upstairs
Visiting school group
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Swing bridge
Swing bridge
Bird Hide
Storage shed
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