The mill is never silent while the damsel sings her song    

Abbot’s Mill on the River Stour in Canterbury, was destroyed by fire in 1933 (known as Denne Mill then).  Now the mill is to be resurrected with the aid of a £2 million grant.  Owners Terry and Jo Kidd plan to use the building as a sustainable centre for the community with green credentials as it will incorporate an organic garden, vegan restaurant, river museum, and meeting rooms.  The lost waterwheel is to be replaced with a new one to provide hydroelectric power via a turbine creating 15 kilowatts (enough to supply 4 family sized homes). Plans for Photovoltaic cells are also being submitted. 
My thanks to HMG member Mrs Patricia Parr for sending the newspaper article about this – CD.

The QG Horizontal Log Frame Saw also called a reciprocating saw made by Kirschner & Co. of Leipzeig in Germany is known to have been powered by a waterwheel at Llangedwyn Mill in mid Wales around 1900.  It can take a tree trunk 50 inches wide.  Due to the arrangement of the teeth, the saw is able to cut in both directions of travel.  The saw is undergoing restoration by its owner, Mr. J.O. Lawley. Photographed by Sheila Viner at Silverstone Racetrack’s Classic Car Celebration in July this year.

Talgarth Mill nr Brecon, Powys  has been a successful renovation project carried out by the villagers, restoring the mill (closed in 1928) and making a new waterwheel and concrete launder to bring the machinery to working use once again producing flour.  Their own bakery and café built on site sees the whole process from locally grown grain being milled, baked and eaten locally.  Progress of the restoration with all its ups and downs was charted on a new BBC programme, Village SOS, fronted by Sarah Beeney. Find all current events and information on the excellent website: www.talgarthmill.com which also has a link to the BBC programme.