Saturday 2/5/26 Seven of us were at the mill to prepare for our open days next weekend. Fred and Debra had an early start, they cut grass and strimmed all around the mill and river banks, then went across the bridge to cut the Nar Valley Way path opposite, and strim around the bench seat and information sign.
Emma weeded the brick floors, David cleaned glass and Perspex panels over the floors and weeded underneath, strimmed around the cycle rack and features. Anne Marie watered and weeded gardens, and tidied grass edges of the outdoor display. Eddie mowed small areas of grass with our push mower and strimmed the edges.
I brought an endoscope to check if birds are nesting in the water wheel, I couldn’t see any signs of a nest. While I had the ladder out, I also went into the river the other side of the water wheel and pulled out weeds from the river and removed weeds from the floor in front of the wheel, Eddie took the weeds away and put them in the compost bay.
Eddie and I cut brambles and overhanging tree branches from the track opposite the wildflower meadow with the pole lopper to give the height needed for visitors in our trailer being taken to and from the car park. One of the bee hotels nearby was leaning over so we repaired the stand and put it back in the meadow, I saw several bees around it. A red kite flew over while we were working there.
I got the gazebo and camping table out of the loft as they'll be used for putting out cakes at the open days. I partly opened the gazebo as we had made a temporary repair after part of the frame broke, today Eddie and I added two extra screws and cut them to size so the gazebo is more sturdy and folds up properly.
I also got the parasol from the loft and tested it, as we use it at the large table for the open days, its working but the vent cloth at the top was beyond repair, Debra offered to make a new one ready for the open days. I checked the donation box with revolving wheel, its not working properly so I’ll take it home for service and repair.
A tree had come down across the Nar Valley Way near our bridge so Fred and Debra went over with chainsaws and cleared it, they put the logs in a pile which we saw a robin sitting on. Hector the red Labrador was with us today, he found logs in the pile which he was playing with. Anne Marie, Fred and Debra had to leave, but four of us had lunch outside under the parasol. We heard a cuckoo again throughout the day.
In the afternoon Eddie and I got buckets of river water in a wheelbarrow and watered the oak saplings in the meadow, one of them is growing well. Emma and David tidied the wagon, checked supplies and put out rubbish and recycling to take back while Eddie and I cut up and brought back the pile of logs from the fallen tree for fire wood. Some walkers went past and said another tree had fallen across the path further up so we went to look, there is a path around it so we'll clear it another time.
Thursday 7/5/26 Our first job was filling the Gator with fuel ready for the open days when we tow our trailer with seats to take visitors between the car park and mill.
I brought the Donation Box back today which I took home to repair, as sometimes the motor would not run. I checked the electrics with my AVO meter and and found that power was reaching the motor. I had five motors left from the kit I bought to make the donation box, so I fitted and soldered in a new one which has fixed the problem. I also tightened the water wheel block, lubricated all moving parts and cleaned the contacts. I checked it survived the journeys by testing it again at the mill.
When I first arrived I heard a lapwing calling and watched it flying over the field beyond the mill, its partner was on the ground in their nest. We also saw a pied wagtail on the water wheel and a pair of kestrels in a tree, we think they are using the tawny owl box opposite the mill as they are often in and around that tree. Eddie switched on the nest cameras and saw the great tits have hatched and the parents were feeding them.
I cut all the grass as we brought the mower today so the site is ready for the open days at the weekend. Eddie cleaned the outdoor chairs with river water, they were stored in the compound, when they dried we put them in the visitor centre.
Eddie and Anne Marie watered the gardens, red lupins are starting to flower, they are from seeds I brought a few years ago from my garden. White foxgloves are flowering on the river bank, Anne Marie weeded around them as well as weeding the other gardens.
When David cleaned the Perspex panel over the brick floor last Saturday he said the Keep Off labels needed replacing as they were tatty, so I printed and laminated some more which I brought today and stuck to the panel.
Eddie watered the oak saplings again and we got more buckets of river water and filled the empty water butt as we need water for the flushing toilet in the visitor centre.
We had lunch outside and in the afternoon I crossed our bridge and walked up to the fallen tree and cut some of it away so walkers can get past more easily, as the narrow path around it could get slippery. Eddie cut up some of the logs we brought back last time so they will fit our woodburner stove in the wagon.
Emma walked down with Ivor in his push chair, Emma cleaned the visitor centre and brought a bubble wand to make bubbles for Ivor which he enjoyed playing with. We had a last cup of tea outside and Emma saw a kingfisher on the pole in the river, it flew away before I had a chance to take a photo. Ivor enjoys being outdoors and riding in the Gator, he was sitting in the driving seat as if he wanted to drive it back.
Graham Bartlett
Interactive Plan Activity Previous Projects Workers 10 Years Ago
