Work to restore 1,000-year-old watermill begins

A major conservation project has started at a watermill that dates back more than 1,000 years.

The £120,000 project at Houghton Mill, on the River Great Ouse near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, will safeguard the site for years to come, the National Trust said.

The charity, which owns the site, said it hoped work would be completed by January so the mill could reopen by Easter.

Isabel Sedgwick, a National Trust visitor operations manager, said: "This project is about making sure we can continue to share the sights, sounds and stories of the mill for many years to come."

Works will include addressing issues caused by the site's age, exposure to the elements and repeated seasonal flooding.

External redecoration and repairs to the mill's roof and windows are also due to take place.

Another charity – the Wolfson Foundation – has provided funding for the conservation works.

Its chief executive Paul Ramsbottom said Houghton Mill was "an important part of our industrial heritage" and that his organisation was pleased to support the restoration.

The mill was largely rebuilt in the 18th Century and operated commercially into the 20th Century.

The National Trust acquired the site in 1939.

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