The building work

Lambert Walker Ltd of Ulverston, our builders, took possession of the site at the end of July. Both halves of the site are fenced in to maintain the public footpath to the fell gate. Scaffolding encloses the main mill building, stable/hay loft and the cottage. Work began by chipping out cement pointing outside the cottage and on the rear wall of the mill close to the two waterwheels. Work to replace this pointing using suitable lime-based mortar is almost complete. The cottage roof repairs went well and the roofers soon moved onto the stable roof. The cottage interior is stripped out and excavated to damp-proof and insulate a new floor. Bad plaster has been removed to prepare for damp-proofing and re-plastering using a traditional lime-based mix. 

The doors of the garage, shop and toilet were removed to form an open storage area and to help excavate the floor. The original mill launder, the wooden channel that brought water to the wheels until it collapsed onto the upper waterwheel, is gone. The storage room, used as the mill reception area during the last two seasons, is currently the site office but will become the exhibition room.