16 The Docklands & East London Advertiser, Thursday July 19, 2012

We stand here in isolation and everyone says its a hidden gem and it’s marvellous, and we love being a hidden gem, but we would like to be a little less hidden

New life to be breathed into old mill

»Tucked behind the busy Bow Flyover a small bridge leads down to a

hidden gem, the world’s larg-est surviving tidal mill nes-tles along the River Lea.

But trustee at the House Mill, on Three Mills Island, Beverley Charters, who is one of the driving forces be-hind trying to get the old ma-chinery operating again and bringing more visitors to the Grade I listed building, would like to see the 18th century mill come alive.

Together with 12 other trustees she has put together plans which would also see modern technology intro-duced allowing the mill to generate green electricity for its own use and for surround-ing homes. An educational programme for school chil-dren is also on the cards to link in with subjects such as science, history and geogra-phy.

The mill is currently only open for guided tours on a Sunday and by appointment

during the week. But Bever-ley hopes to see it open up to visitors on self-guided tours five days a week with each floor featuring interactive active display telling differ-ent stories about the mill, which was once a major grinder of grain for the gin industry.

She envisages the plans be-coming a reality in less than two years if the The River Lea Tidal Mill Trust can raise £2million in match funding to help it secure a £2.65million Heritage Lot-tery grant.

Recognition

Standing on the House Mill’s roof overlooking the surrounding developments, including the Olympic Park, Beverley says: “We stand here in isolation, and every-one says its a hidden gem and it’s marvellous, and we love being a hidden gem, but we would like to be a little less hidden.

“Generally speaking as long as developments are sympathetic to the conserva-tion area we see the majority

Beverley Charters is determined to get the mill’s machinery up and running again

It’s a Fact

The House Mill was built in 1776 by Daniel Bisson, on the site of an earlier mill.

It was built between two houses occupied by the miller and his family, hence its name.

The Domesday Survey recorded eight mills in the area.

In Medieval times the site provided flour for bakers supplying bread to the City of London.

In 1588 one of the two remaining mills was described as a gunpowder mill.

During the 16th century the three mills were reduced to the surviving House Mill and the Clock Mill.

In the 17th century the mills were used to grind grain used to distil alcohol.

The mill ceased milling in 1941 during the rationing shortages of World War II.

“The two top floors will tell the story of the grain and how it got here, of the River Lea and the House Mill as a really important part of the industrial revolu-tion.

“We will always encour-age people to start from up-stairs. That makes sense be-cause the grain came up in a sack through a door trap. The wheel would be turning and the miller down on the ground floor would pull on the rope and the sacks would come up through the whole five floors. When it’s work-ing again sacks will be fly-ing around exactly like it was.”

Exciting

As we make out way down the narrow staircase Bever-ley explains how other floors will tell the story of the peo-ple who used to work here, the different crafts and the people who built the mill.

As we reach the bottom floor with its four surviving wheels I suddenly sense Bev-erley vision coming alive. As I hear the river lapping

of projects in this area as a good thing because they will bring us visitors and recog-nition.”

During the Second World War Three Mills sustained severe air-raid damage and saw the Miller’s House de-stroyed while the House Mill survived.

Beverley says: “I love this mill so much because it’s a plucky survivor, also surviv-ing the post-war planners, and if we can make it work

again it will survive many more centuries.”

Taking me on a tour start-ing from the top of the five- storey building working our way down, the same way as the grain would have flowed through the building, Bever-ley sets out her vision for making the building come alive.

“The idea is that people can walk through all floors with each telling a different story.

by Else Kvistelse.kvist@archant.co.uk

Beverley ChartersTrustee of the House Mill

The 18th century Grade I listed House Mill

Thursday July 19, 2012, The Docklands & East London Advertiser 17

against the outside walls and Beverley starts talking about having table displays for gin tasting it is almost as I can smell and taste the mill’s history.

Plans are in place to install a turbine in the river outside in the shape of an Archimedes screw, a machine used for chan-nelling water uphill.

Beverley says: “It will very ex-citing to see the wheels go round but as importantly they will work in conjunction with the screw, so the wheels will turn the grinding stones but they will also make electricity.

“For education we’ll have so-lar panelling on the roof with new technology but hydro power with old technology. We think it will give us enough energy for our own use and the rest we can sell off to National Grid or neigh-bours.

“It means 250 years after the building was built it will then have a new use.”

To make self-guided tours pos-sible a lot of health and safety hazards have to be overcome.

“It is an industrial building with many trip hazards and trap doors, so quite a dangerous building.

“What we’re trying to do is put in safety barriers but at the same time have information on them so it will double up as an infor-mation point and a safety meas-ure. We will also have a volun-teer guardian on each floor who people can ask them questions.”

Other grand plans include providing apprenticeships for the local universities and craft colleges.

AppealBut Beverley is finding it

tough to raise the £2million in Lottery match funding needed by November.

She said: “Some trusts said they can only help you with buildings and can’t fund ma-chinery. That was a big surprise to me. For us the machinery is an integral part of the mill’s his-tory.”

Currently the mill is purely staffed by volunteers but as part of its programme the trust is ap-plying for funding for five mem-bers of staff, including an educa-tional officer, manger and caretaker.

Visit www.housemill.org.uk

It’s a Fact

Following a community consultation which found residents wanted more activities a series of arts and cultural events are being put on at Three Mills this summer.

During the Olympics an exhibition will explain about tidal mills around Western Europe.

Ellie’s Armchair Walks will take visitors on a slide show tour of London from the comfort of their seats.

Other events will see users of the nearby Bromley-by-Bow Centre sell their work at the mill, along with jewellers and other artists.

More musical events are planned after an orchestra played Beethoven inside the mill.

Guided tours take a maximum of 54 people lasts 45 minutes.

There are guided tours of the House Mill every Sunday from May to October from 11am to 4pm.