Worsbrough Mill gears up for National Mills Weekend as it celebrates its 400th anniversary
Yorkshire’s beloved Worsbrough Mill Museum and Country Park are continuing the celebrations of its 400-year anniversary with a packed programme of family-friendly activities as part of National Mills Weekend - a nationwide celebration of milling history.
The Barnsley attraction - operated by Barnsley Museums with fundraising support by Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust - will transform into a hive of heritage, creativity and community spirit on Saturday, May 10.
From 10am until 3pm, visitors at Worbrough Mill can take part in a variety of fun-filled activities for all ages, such as a salt dough model-making session with artist Raychel McGuin, as well as flatbread and gingerbread-making sessions.
At 11am and 1pm, there will be two 45-minute tours where visitors can learn all about how the mill works and listen to the different sounds of the mechanism.
Several milling artefacts and historic images will be on display that explains more about the mill’s heritage.
Local food and drink will be served on-site, with live music from the Barnsley Flute Choir throughout the day.
VIRTUAL TOUR: Explore Worsbrough Mill and discover its rich history in the amazing free online 3D walkthrough tour from Barnsley Museums, created by www.frontrowlive.co.uk and packed with information hotspots, including explainer videos featuring former miller Simon Dodd - click on the image below or visit here.
National Mills Weekend is an annual event where visitors are encouraged to share their favourite memories of milling heritage from across the country and embrace new cultural experiences.
It is one of many enriching cultural events planned this year to mark Worsbrough Mill ‘s incredible milestone as one of the oldest working mills in the UK, dating back to 1625.
As part of the year-long celebrations to mark the anniversary, other projects have progressed, with artist Adam Briscoe creating a mural to highlight the mill’s history and Barnsley College student Addison Batten producing a 400-year anniversary-themed logo.
Worsbrough Mill has also worked with Next Big Thing and WE Great Ladies to create various audio soundscapes that play different sounds of the mill.
This weekend’s free fun day is a drop-in, with people encouraged to pop along and learn more about the mill, which was saved when funding was recently secured after the launch of a Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust £40,000 Trouble At T’Mill appeal, to replace an upright oak shaft that drives it.
Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “We are excited to continue the celebrations of Worsbrough Mill’s incredible 400-year anniversary with various enriching and educational activities for all ages!
‘National Mills Weekend is a great opportunity for us to not only showcase the mill’s wonderful history and heritage but also inspire children and young people from across Barnsley to embrace cultural experiences and learn something new about the borough. Come along and enjoy Barnsley’s local history!”
#WorsbroughMill400 has been made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust.
For more information about National Mills Weekend visit www.worsbrough-mill.com/whats-on/national-mills-weekend-celebration-event.
The mill, which has been grinding grain since 1625, is one of only a few remaining working mills in Yorkshire and until recently was capable of producing around 16 tons of grain each year, providing flour to local bakeries and artisan bread makers.
Nestled in 240-acre Worsbrough country park, next to a reservoir, it is a top tourist destination attracting over 250,000 visitors a year.
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Worsbrough Mill Museum and Country Park web: www.worsbrough-mill.com
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