Change of Plans

For some time, we have been considering the future for the mill. Our intention has always been for the mill to be a working mill museum. Now that it is fully restored and producing flour, we need the space inside the mill for additional machinery and as a result can no longer continue with the catering. However, the mill is still largely reliant on the income generated from sales of teas. We have discussed several options, including moving the teas to the sheds at the front of the mill, but have now decided that the best way forward is to convert the sheds into a small, artisan bakery. This has the benefits of both using our own range of organic flours and that the sales of bread will supplement the reduced income from teas. We have been given lots of advice from a variety of sources, including the bakery at Chatsworth House, a Dordogne boulangerie and a Lincolnshire windmill & bakery. We have now successfully negotiated planning permission and the terms of a lease from

the Crown Estates (who own the sheds) and hope to start work soon. The bakery should be up and running by Easter. We have been very fortunate in finding an experienced baker, Nick Anderson who will be running the bakery. Nick has been running his own bakery for many years and he is enthusiastic to involve himself in a bakery attached to a working watermill. We will still be serving teas in 2006, as the bakery is being built and starts limited bread production.

Spelt Flour

Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat, described as the food that "the Roman army marched on"! Over the last 2000 years, farmers have bred varieties of wheat to give very high yields, but in the process have lost many of the flavours in the original wheat. We have recently started to mill organic spelt and it has proved extremely popular with our bakers. Our spelt flour is a wholemeal flour and produces a dense, strongly flavoured loaf. Spelt is high in protein, but does not contain the same type of gluten as found in modern wheat, and as such is sometimes suitable for people with a gluten intolerance.

Anglia TV at the mill

In May this year the mill was included in a documentary of nostalgia in the countryside - "Country Days". The camera crew spent a morning here filming volunteer millers Peter Smith and Dennis Ridgeway, whilst Pam Rhodes of Songs of Praise fame interviewed Mandy about present day life at the mill compared to that of the Hawkins family.

On film

Ever since we came to Redbournbury Mill we have been aware that the BBC had a film of Ivy Hawkins "the last lady miller in England" when she was interviewed for the "Tonight" programme in 1959 by Trevor Phillpott. We have managed to obtain a copy of this and are thrilled to see and hear this lady that we have heard so much about and talked so much about! The mill looks just the same even down to the cobwebs and chickens pecking on the front lawn. The film is very short but really brings the past to life.

Conservation

At the beginning of the year we were approached by Hemel Hempstead Conservation Volunteers led by Chris Riley; they offered to do river clearance and maintenance. Their first visit was on one of the coldest days in January but wearing waders and woolly hats they stood in the river all day pulling out reeds and creating an island that has transformed the river. Whilst they were still keen we persuaded them to return in the spring to try their hands at "spiling" - the ancient method of riverbank strengthening with the use of living willow. They pollarded two of our willow trees and used the smaller branches for uprights driven into the mud, and then wove the supple pieces of willow amongst these. After two days of spiling the mill race now looks very well cared for and visitors enjoyed watching the volunteers - who were, of course, suitably rewarded with cream teas!

Behind the scenes

Will Kemplen, friend of the mill & retired film editor, has made an excellent short film of all the aspects of the mill's working day - from grain delivery to bagging the flour - this is now shown to visitors whenever we are open and is particular interesting to less able people who cannot see the upper three floors of the mill. The video shows many aspects of the working mill that it is not possible to demonstrate when the mill is open (using the sack-hoist or dressing the millstones for example). The video is available to all visitors - please ask if you would like to see it!

Spelt Bread Recipe

450g Spelt Flour
100g White Flour
25g butter
2tsp dried yeast
1½ tsp salt
1½ tblsp honey
300ml warm water

Mix the flours and the salt in a large bowl then rub in the butter. Add the yeast, salt, honey and water and mix into a dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for at least five minutes. Shape into a loaf and place in an oiled 2lb loaf tin. Cover lightly with a damp cloth or cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for 50 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Immediately turn out onto a wire tray to cool. This recipe is also ideal for use in a bread machine, however best results will be achieved on a rapid bake setting (approximately 2 hours).

Farmers' Markets

As well as St.Albans and Hatfield markets, we are now attending Hertford and Harpenden. Harpenden has proved particularly popular and being on our doorstep. What produce could be more local? We are lucky to have some new volunteer "sales ladies" who seem very happy to be realising life-long ambitions to be shopkeepers!

Winter Open-days

Christmas Open Day The Christmas open day will be on 4th December. Following the success of the last two years, the Ver Singers will be returning to fill the mill with Christmas Carols. Mulled wine and mince pies available to warm visitors!

New Year The mill will be open for the always popular New Year open-days on Sunday and Monday, 1st, 2nd January. Free admission. The famous mill soup, mince pies and mulled wine to welcome walkers.

Residents First Weekend 28th/29th January will be the fourth annual "Residents First Weekend" organised by St.Albans council. Many buildings across the district will open their doors for free to local residents - encouraging them to explore the history on their doorstep. The mill will be open all day, both days - regular milling demonstrations.

Flour Power!

Flour production continues to increase - we have milled some 45 tonnes this year. We now deliver flour to several local restaurants in our newly acquired van which you have probably seen in the area. We are currently negotiating with a local organic farmer to purchase his wheat - returning to the way the mill would have run for centuries; milling local wheat for the local population.

Dumb Waiter

To make life easier and safer for our young (and not so young!) waitresses we have installed a dumb waiter between the ground and first floors. Trays of tea can now be safely hoisted up and down without going down the steep stairs. When names for the unusual looking contraption were suggested, of course Manuel seemed most appropriate!

Millstone maintenance

We have two pairs of usable millstones at Redbournbury, both made from French Burrstone. One pair mills the wheat, the other either rye or spelt.

Millstones need regular maintenance, in particular they need to be dressed. This involves separating the two stones (each weighing one tonne) and then re-defining the pattern of furrows using a mill-bill. This needs to be done after every 50 tonnes or so of grain have been milled.

Our wheat stones were dressed again this year by David Empringham, a millwright from High Wycombe.

We recently had a significant problem with one of our pairs of millstones - whilst milling we noticed to our horror that the drive-shaft passing through the eye of the bed-stone was wobbling! This is somewhat disconcerting when you consider that it is driving a one tonne piece of stone, rotating at 120 rpm!

Unsurprisingly, none of the mill volunteers had any experience of the bearing box supporting the stone-spindle, and some research was necessary to discover how it was constructed. Fortunately, Peter Smith has a copy of an old book written by a Russian millwright and we were able to call upon the expertise of Mike King, millwright and miller at Mill Green in Hatfield, and Owen Ward, a leading expert on millstones. To our surprise, we found that the entire bearing assembly is only retained by wooden folding wedges, covered with plaster of Paris. Replacement of a few of the lower wedges and the plaster has made an excellent repair to the millstone, which is now back in full use!

Safety First!

Next time you visit the mill you will see some high-tech additions to the building! Following discussions with the local fire brigade, who came to give us some excellent training in the use of fire extinguishers and spent a morning talking to all the volunteers, we have now installed a complete break-glass fire alarm system. To add to the mill's safety measures we have installed CCTV cameras on each floor and an intercom system which enables us to alert visitors wherever they may be in the mill.