HALLOWE’EN LANTERNS AT PAKENHAM WATER MILL

About 60 children with their mums and dads had fun carving traditional Hallowe’en lanterns out of pumpkins at Pakenham Water Mill during the October half-term.

There were also competitions to spot the rats, bats and spiders (not real ones!) hidden around this historic water mill.

Pictured are Rozina and James Irwin-Williams and some of the faces carved by other children.

Clive had been a volunteer at the mill for 16 years, when he died suddenly in March 2011. He had been a head master in local schools before retirement when he came to live in Pakenham. He was tireless in his contribution to the work of milling, and full of enthusiasm.

He was very active, and had hoped to complete his self imposed task of climbing all the ‘Munros’ in Scotland (mountains over 3000ft) this year. He cycled everywhere, played golf regularly, enjoyed red wine, and had a magnificent model railway in his garden!

After a packed funeral in Pakenham Church, the reception was held at the Water Mill. It had been Clive’s wish that any funeral collection be divided between the Church and the Water Mill. This enabled the committee to organise the purchase of the bench.

The first picture shows Louise unveiling the bench with David Eddershaw, Curator and Chairman of the management committee. The second shows Clive’s co-millers, Roger Gillingham (on left) and Robin Harrison raising a glass to his memory.

Over 650 people enjoyed watching a range of skilled craftsmen and women at work in the beautiful surroundings of Pakenham Water Mill on our Heritage Open Day event in September.

It was a beautiful weather and admission was free so visitors were queueing up before the doors opened. Eight different traditional crafts were being demonstrated including wood turning using a pole lathe by Simon Lamb, two coracle makers showing how these traditional boats were constructed for use on the River Stour.  Nigel Barnett a master blacksmith from Fransham Forge whose firm recently replaced 140 steel buckets on the mill’s 100 year-old waterwheel, was there with a portable forge making decorative items in wrought iron, while his wife demonstrated wool spinning. Two of the craftsmen were members of the volunteer team who run the water mill, Peter George showing beautiful wood carvings and Jonathan Moseley-Williams making willow baskets.  Pargetting which is a feature of many old buildings (and some new ones)  in East Anglia was being explained by Joe Pattison, and Brian Ansell was there with the beautiful replica stone quern he had made for the mill. This is made from Peak stone and will become a permanent feature of the water mill, showing how some people in the Middle Ages ground wheat into flour by hand at home.

The Water Mill itself was of course also open and working for visitors to see the millers milling and bagging up our renowned stone-ground wholemeal flour, which customers in the shop were buying almost as fast as it could be milled. A variety of different breads were being baked in the 18^th century brick oven and the 100 year-old Blackstone oil engine was in action.

To complete everyone’s enjoyment on this beautifully warm and sunny September day there was traditional music played by the well known ‘Skylarking’ trio,  a bar provided by Cliff Quay Brewery, local Suffolk wine and a bbq and full range of other refreshments.

What a wonderful day in such a wonderful setting!

Traditional fen eel traps, wood turning on a pole lathe and coracle making are some of the unusual and fascinating old crafts being demonstrated at Pakenham Water Mill in a special event on Sunday 9th September. Visitors will also be able to see flour being milled in the traditional way using millstones driven by the mill’s huge iron water wheel. There will be demonstrations of baking in the old brick bread oven and the 100 year-old Blackstone oil engine will be running. All this in a beautiful setting beside the millpond, where you can sit and enjoy a BBQ lunch or tea and cakes while listening to traditional music.

A 100 year-old Blackstone oil engine will be one of the star attractions at Pakenham Water Mill’s annual Vintage Power Day on Sunday 19 June. Built in 1904 by the famous Blackstone Engine Company of Stamford in Lincolnshire, it was installed at the water mill in 1930 to drive a roller mill for producing white flour. After many years of neglect it has been restored by Chris Irwin and Jim Clarke, two of the volunteers at the mill, and visitors can see and hear it running on this special open day. Enthusiasts from all over Suffolk will also be there to demonstrate a range of smaller stationary engines and there will be a spectacular display of vintage cars.

As usual at this popular event the mill will be working and visitors can see fine wholemeal flour being ground in the traditional way or watch a demonstration of baking in the old brick bread oven. The tearoom will be open for light refreshments and the mill shop will be selling ice-creams, gifts and of course the mill’s own flour.