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We are delighted that one of our more ambitious heritage projects has recently been officially opened to the public with much excitement and press interest. Sacrewell Farm in Peterborough was a challenging renovation of an 18th century mill – one of the top 8% of listed buildings in the UK which we project managed and successfully advised on the application to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Mill enjoyed an impressive launch weekend as the site was transported back in time with many people who were a significant part of the Mill’s history in attendance to share their stories. Costumed volunteers featuring dress from across the ages of the Mill’s history were also on hand to help. As with all heritage projects, one of the main challenges was to preserve and restore as much of the original fabric of the building as possible, including the mechanics of the actual water mill which was working in fine order during the launch alongside a new hydro-electric installation that renders the farm sustainable as it feeds into the National Grid.
Photos of the Opening Ceremony
The Mill stopped producing flour back in the 1960s. The intention is to start baking again with the newly milled flour once all the health and safety plans are in place. The Rutland and Stamford Mercury covered the opening of the Mill in a superb article which can be found here
“We have, so far, had a very positive response. When the representatives from the Heritage Lottery Fund walked down the path, they said ‘wow’ and they were extremely complimentary about the project. That was the big thing for me.” – Project Officer, Jane Harrison
For the team at Clarkson Alliance it’s especially gratifying when we see one of our projects come to a successful conclusion such as this. The behind the scenes work is always very intense and it’s thanks to a strong collaboration between the various stakeholders that the site can now carry out its important educational work and heritage preservation.
We are proud that the work we do in delivering heritage projects like Sacrewell on time and within budget can have such a profound impact. This is thanks to our experience working with the Heritage Lottery Fund and helping to get projects through the various stages of funding applications. Sacrewell Farm will now have two funded roles of Project Officer and Learning and Interpretation Officer enabled by the support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. These jobs are provided to execute the action plan as set out by the HLF which ensures the longevity of the project whilst interacting with the many stakeholders involved.
For more details on Sacrewell Farm please visit http://www.sacrewell.org.uk/watermill-and-heritage
