The Living Mill
A NEW CHAPTER
Wymondham Windmill has received £36,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and £34,500 from East Leicestershire LEADER for an exciting project, The Living Mill, in Wymondham. The project will see the historic mill conserved and its story told by people in the local community. Essential repair works will be completed in 2017.
LOCAL ATTRACTION
The 7 acre visitor attraction is open to the public 364 days a year and welcomes 35,000 visitors annually. Vincent and Sarahjayne Fletcher run the Tea Room for which serves lunches and cakes making the site a meeting point and destination. The windmill is at the heart of the site and visitors are free to explore the building.
EDUCATION & LEARNING
Three generations of the Wymondham community will come together to tell the story of their Mill. The whole site will be interpreted for visitors to explore the building’s significance to the local community over the last two centuries. The village primary and pre-schools will bring a younger voice to the interpretation and help develop teaching and learning resources so that the site’s educational value can be realised.
NEW RESTORATION
The building’s cap will be lifted off to allow essential repairs to the structure. There will be opportunities for people to learn traditional skills and be a part of this amazing building’s history. Following conservation works it will be weather tight, safe and able to tell its fascinating stories to locals and visitors alike.
HERITAGE LOTTERY FUNDED
Jonathan Platt, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: “The Wymondham Windmill is a rare surviving part of our agricultural heritage and a much-loved local landmark in the heart of the village. This support, made possible by National Lottery players, will not only conserve the windmill but will allow more people to learn about its importance and history for the first time.”
THE HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery
EAST LEICESTERSHIRE LEADER
Leader is a European funding programme designed to support rural development by providing grants to small businesses and communities. The programme will run from 2015-2020 with almost €2 million (approximately £1.5 million) available in total for the East Leicestershire area.