Conservation work on National Trust mill in Cheshire is nearing completion, with the success of the delicate project relying on the skills of a host of local craftsmen and builders.
The project manager, Catherine Farfan, has been blogging the progress of the restoration efforts and said that, at one point, they even had father-and-son specialist joiners working on the 14th-century mill’s recognisable roof structure.
Catherine said that the work on the roof involved strict adherence to its dips and undulations, but also saw the rectifying and stabilising of any deeper structural issues within the building’s historic timber frame.
“Once we had a clearer understanding of the work that needed to happen, a father-and-son team of joiners who specialise in carpentry repairs and traditional joinery, started on site, repairing, replacing, strengthening and splicing timbers,” she said. “When they were done, the roofers could begin replacing the roof slates.”
The roof still needs to undergo weatherproofing and engineers are working to restore the mill mechanism to full working order. It is hoped that the mill will be able to reopen to the public in the spring of 2013, and they will be able to operate it as a functioning flour mill once again.