Watermill to be fully restored as lottery cash flows in

The community-led project, which will be run by a charity, the Renewable Heritage Trust, will see Howsham Mill saved for future generations and put to use as an education and community centre.

It had been lying derelict since the mill closed in 1947 and is currently on English Heritage’s At Risk register.

The project has already seen phase one of works completed, which has included reinstating the waterwheel and installing an Archimedean screw turbine to harness the power of the river to produce electricity.

Phase two, which will now go ahead, will see the main building restored externally, while inside it will be developed into a state-of-the-art classroom and meeting space.

An education and events officer will be appointed to oversee activities at the mill, which will explore the area’s industrial and agricultural heritage. They will also focus on topics such as the natural environment, sustainability and renewable energy.

The head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire and Humber, Fiona Spiers, said: “This project demonstrates some really innovative thinking in bringing alive a wonderful heritage asset while developing a working legacy for its future. We’re extremely pleased that Howsham Mill can now move on to the next capital phase, which will return the building to its former glory – and far more.”

The mill was pushed into the national spotlight in 2006 when it reached the finals of the BBC’s Restoration Village.

Mo Macleod, from the Renewable Heritage Trust, said: “After seven years of hard work and hoping, it’s hard to describe just how excited we are that we will soon be able to open the doors of a fully restored Howsham Mill.”

The mill is situated on a small island in the River Derwent, near Malton, and provides a focal point for the rich agricultural, industrial and social history of the area.

With a mill on the site since medieval times, the current building was designed by John Carr of York and dates to about 1755.