Thursday 31/7/25 We saw the stock dove on our nest camera, sitting on what we assume are two chicks, as there were two eggs. We didn’t see the chicks clearly as the adult stayed on top of them all day, but we did see one moving later in the day.
Emma and her Grandson Ivor came down with us, Emma pulled weeds from the cistern and hammer mill while Ivor slept in his pushchair, he is one year old now. A sunflower is out in front of the visitor centre, we saw bumble bees on it. The wire holding the sunflowers came away so I hammered in fencing staples and Anne Marie fixed the wire to them and put in canes to support cornflowers which were falling over.
When using our water tank to water trees and flowers in the meadow recently, the flow from the tap was very slow, so I drilled a hole in the top of the tank to let air in. I tested it by filling the tank with river water and letting it out into a bucket, this gives a much faster flow, the water was used on our gardens. There are plenty more large containers for taking drinking water to the mill on our open days which are on 20 & 21 September.
I filled the bird feeders in the morning and saw a great tit on the long feeder and blue tit on the peanuts. From the wagon I saw a bullfinch eating plants which had gone to seed next to the grindstone bases, I looked it up in the bird book Anne Marie gave us. We saw red admiral and comma butterflies around the site.
Anne Marie had soaked some of the red lupin seeds which helps them germinate, today she planted them beside the wall next to our blue lupins which Dennis gave us in 2022. Anne Marie brought us Norfolk shortbread which we enjoyed with our tea.
Eddie weeded the entrance to the wagon and strimmed the edges around the site. I got a barrow of mole hill soil and used it to cover the trunking which carries camera cables as it was slightly exposed. I also hammered in more cable clips holding cables down the tree, as some had broken due to tree growth and the cables were loose.
Anne Marie weeded and watered all the gardens and moved some of the plants round in the garden in front of the building so they all get plenty of light now the sunflowers have grown. Cosmos have grown tall and now have buds.
Eddie and I made four brackets to strengthen our round table, we cut them from a thick aluminium sheet, after changing the hacksaw blade which was completely blunt. We bent the brackets in the vice and drilled holes in them, turned the table upside down and screwed the brackets in the corners which has made the table stronger.
Thursday 7/8/25 We took bird food which I brought today, my tracksaw and some laminate flooring offcuts for repairs to our insect hotel.
Several more sunflowers have come out in front of the visitor centre and foxgloves are flowering on the river bank and wildflower meadow. Marigolds and cornflowers are still flowering in the meadow, Anne Marie watered and weeded all the plants and gardens.
Eddie unpacked the bird food and put it in our containers then filled the bird feeders. The stock dove and two chicks were seen on the nest cameras today. Emma and Eddie saw the heron flying on their way down.
I went to the mill on the mower and cut paths through the meadow and the grass near our bridge. Eddie strimmed around the visitor centre then cut the rest of the grass.
Emma weeded the brick floors and outdoor display. We discussed covering over the upper brick floor before it deteriorates too badly like the cistern area.
The insect hotel we made from a chutney box needed repair as the back was breaking up, so I cut a piece of laminate flooring to size and fitted it to the back and refitted the box on the stand. Eddie cut the small areas of grass with the push mower.
At lunch time we sat outside, Anne Marie brought pieces of chocolate tray bake for us all which was lovely so Emma suggested making one for the open days. Anne Marie walked back after lunch.
In the afternoon we all went to the fallen river wall to assess the work needed to make it into a sloping bank to match the other river banks. We might need more soil than we have on site which Emma can provide. We noticed the bowed trench wall has deteriorated, the bow is much worse, the soil level next to it is lower and the crack has opened up. The wall is at high risk of falling so we will look into temporary supports.
The glass panel over the downstream brick floor had weeds under it so we removed the glass and Eddie pulled the weeds out, I cleaned the glass with a bucket of river water and we refitted it. Emma weeded the the brick floor beside the hammer mill.
Graham Bartlett
Interactive Plan Activity Volunteer Previous Next Projects Mill Workers
