The fire crew at Alfreton came to our mill for a training exercise, seeking to get a ‘casualty’ from the upper floor of the mill. The team of five, led by Incident Commander Andy Lee, arrived in a very shining Scandia fire engine and quickly sorted how they could best use the mill sack hoist shaft to get the casualty down to ground level.
It was an interesting visit for everyone involved and one we hope never has to be carried out for real!
Our windmill is now open for 2015, with the opening ceremony ribbon being cut by John Boucher, a former Heage Windmill volunteer who played a vital role in bringing the windmill to life.
Prior to the opening, John drove down to the mill on a 1948 Fordson Tractor, loaned for the occasion by John Allsop of Heage. Mr Boucher, who was the Project manager for the restoration of the windmill in 2002, was welcomed by the Town Crier of Belper; Piers Bostock, Chair of Heage Windmill Society; and Angela Ward, Chair of the Friends of the Mill. Angela spoke at length of the debt the mill owed to John for his expertise in the bringing the mill back to life, and becoming a major Tourist attraction in Amber Valley. She also thanked the diminishing band of volunteers who keep the mill open, appealing for any potential new recruits to come and join in the good work.
John was presented with a specially made book by John Hunter of the Friends to mark the occasion, illustrating his work over a 50 year span in working on various mills, including Heage. In 2003, John was responsible for producing the first flour at the windmill for almost a 100 years and, in front of a sizeable gathering of supporters, said he was immensely proud and delighted to be invited to declare the mill open for its 14th season.
See Gallery below for more photos. See photos here from the Derby Telegraph.
Heage Windmill now has a display board showing artefacts discovered during the restoration of the windmill between 1996 and 2002.
When the site at Heage was cleared, many artefacts – mainly made of iron – were found buried in and around the mill. In addition there were numerous pieces removed from the mill as they were either broken or worn out (see photo). These were collected together and in due course moved into covered store where they have been conserved but not displayed.
As they represented something of the mill’s past, a number of the mill maintenance team felt ‘something should be done’ with them on a more permanent basis. The various items were therefore carefully identified and the concept of a display was born. There is no spare space inside the building so a large board, mounted on posts, was conceived and the various piece mounted onto it.
All the pieces have been treated with preservative and the board itself can be demounted for internal storage during the closed season. Our guides have all been briefed and are able to explain in more detail than the small labels on the board can offer and what they represent.
The result is the current display board and our thanks are extended to the volunteers who assembled and presented this collection of our mill’s heritage.
Photo shows a collection of roller tie bars, as removed from the mill during restoration in 2002.
Special weekend events at Heage Windmill in 2015:
Sat/Sun 9th /10th May – Nunsfield Amateur Radio group from Derby
Sat/Sun 27th/28th June – Flower Festival.
Sunday 5th July – Classic Bikes.
Saturday 31st October – Giant Cobweb. Close for season.
Sunday 6th Dec – Santa Day.
When most folks decide to tie the knot, they get a car to take them to and from the various venues. Kerry Fradley and Darren Ashley had the same thoughts. But they thought ‘big’ and hired an American Dream Truck as their wedding transport. This was a huge, gleaming and polished, road haulage unit which dwarfs most other things on the road; we had to trim a tree on the road down to the windmill to ensure there was a free passage!
The truck is 13 years old, has a 14 litre engine, a potential top speed of 110 mph, and has done almost a million miles (at 11 miles per gallon!). Behind the cab is a special unit where the happy couple could settle back and feel mighty!
The pair were married at Heage church last Saturday and then made their way down to the windmill for an unusual photo shoot, before heading off to Horsley Lodge for the reception. The whole unit, and the couple, posed in front of the mill, and many official, and unofficial photos, were taken. They were presented with an engraved wooden spoon made by Freda Stallybrass, of the Friends of the mill, and also, of course, a bag of Heage flour!
Would you like your wedding to include a photo shoot at the windmill? Click here for more details.
Sunday July 27th saw Classic Motor Bikes on show at the Windmill.
The Classic Motor Bikes club, led by Colin Clements, brought almost 30 old restored motor bikes and put them on display.
In almost perfect weather conditions, the bikes simply gleamed in the bright sunlight.
Keeping a 200 year old windmill in full working order, particularly when it has become a major tourist attraction in the Amber Valley area – and even more so when it is the only complete working windmill in Derbyshire – demands a lot of effort.
Heage Windmill is run by a charitable trust but the trust depends on a small army of volunteers to keep her operating. Over the 14 years since the mill was restored, time has taken its toll on the original team and we are in urgent need of some new recruits.
We need some new guides and shop workers and, maybe with time, some might even become millers. But even when the mill is closed, there is always work to done to the mill and the surrounds, and here a team of maintenance workers give their time during the week.
Full training is given so you do not need to be an expert on windmills when you join us – but you will soon learn a lot about them! Being a volunteer is something open to both sexes and all ages; providing you are reasonably active a place for you can be found.
It’s fascinating to be directly involved in keeping ‘the old lady’, as we call her, in trim working order and, at the same time, making her open to our many visitors.
If you think you can spare the odd day to help out why not contact Lynn Allen on 01773 715 177 and find out more?
The final weekend in June saw flower displays both inside the windmill and at neighbouring St Luke’s Church to celebrate the Flower Festival in Heage.
Below is a gallery of photos.
Congratulations to Sue Colclough from Clowne for winning this year’s Heage Windmill Art Challenge, now renamed the Margaret Bonsall Art Challenge in honour of the long-time past organiser of the event..
Under largely bright clear blue skies, the competing artists were invited to produce an image of the windmill, in the media of their choice, in just under four hours.
Sue Colclough, a painter with the Barlborough & Clowne Art Group, produced an appealing acrylic representation on canvas.
Certificates and monetary prizes were given out by the two Judges -Bryan Bonsall and Doreen Andrews, both artists from Matlock Artists Society.
Bryan, the husband of the late Margaret, presented her with the new trophy, a Dartington crystal rose bowl, which will be held for one year by the winner.
Second place went to Steven Ullyatt of Derby. Third was Mandy Ahlfors of Heage.
There was also a competition, for juniors under 16, which was won by 7 year old Amy Womble, who lives in nearby Harthill, for her acrylic on canvas.
The event was kindly sponsored by Alan Wilde Coaches of Heage in memory of Albert Wilde.
Heage Windmill is ranked in the top 10 wind and water mills to visit in the UK. The list of mills is published in the May/June issue of the national women’s magazine YOURS. Significantly – we like to think – we have by far the largest photo!
This story was covered by the Derby Telegraph. To read the article, click here.
Heage Windmill is open every Saturday and Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from April to the end of October, 11am to 4pm. For Admission Prices, Details of Group and School Visits and Where to Find us, click here >
In the early 19th century, Britain had 10,000 windmills. Heage Windmill experienced fluctuating fortunes until the Heage Windmill Society was formed in 1995. To discover Heage Windmill's history and how it was restored to working order, click here >
All our flour is stoneground at the windmill from wheat grown in this country and can normally be bought at the mill during visiting times, and at Bakewell Farmers' Markets every month. For more about our flour, click here >
Heage Windmill cannot operate without volunteers, so why not join us? To read more about the different ways you can help - as a miller, guide, working in the shop or helping out at the farmers' markets, click here >
| Belper, GB |
 |
13°C few clouds |
|
Wind
7 mph, E
Humidity
63%
Pressure
1.01 bar
|
||
| Day | Cond. | Temp. | Wind | Humidity | PressurePres. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sun apr 20 |  |
-/11°C | 0 mph | - | 0 bar |
| mon apr 21 |  |
11/7°C | 4 mph, ENE | 96% | 1.01 bar |
| tue apr 22 |  |
14/5°C | 3 mph, WSW | 91% | 1.02 bar |
| wed apr 23 |  |
14/5°C | 2 mph, ENE | 90% | 1.02 bar |
| thu apr 24 | |
14/6°C | 7 mph, NNE | 93% | 1.02 bar |
Please note the wind speed. If it is more than 5 or 6 mph, then normally the sails will be turning.
Heage Windmill is owned by Derbyshire CC but is controlled and operated by Heage Windmill Society, a charitable organisation (Reg Charity No 1065980), to whom all profits from running the windmill are donated by the Friends to help ensure its continued preservation
