Tag: SPAB

National Mills Weekend – May 13/14

The weekend of May 13/14 is National Mills weekend, organised by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), when our windmill will be one of the hundreds of wind and water mills throughout the country which will open its doors to visitors, many of which are not normally accessible to the public.

The theme this year is  ‘Engineers and  Engineering’ and so, apart from the marvellous old machinery to behold in our 220 year old windmill, we will be welcoming dozens of vintage cars  – old power in plenty indeed!

The cars, which are taking part in a rally, will be of assorted makes and models displaying  the early motoring technology which led to the well engineered and reliable vehicles most people drive today.

There will be a steady stream of them arriving throughout the day, starting from 9-00am and continuing until 4-00 pm, although a core of them will be on site all day.

It will be something like a lucky dip as to what will be there at any particular time, depending how long one stays on site.

Throughout the weekend radio clubs from all over the UK will be based at windmills and water mills, seeking to make contact with other mills in this country and across the world. Over the entire weekend we will once  again  be hosting the Nunsfield Amateur radio Club, based in Derby, who will set up a temporary transmission station and will  try  to carry  the name ‘Heage Windmill’ to the far corners of the world.

The windmill, of course, will be open for tours on both days , from 11-00 until 4-00 pm, with the last tour starting at 3-30 pm.

 

Heage Windmill attracts 30 vintage tractors

2016 Tractors z04Heage Windmill celebrated National Mills Weekend, co-ordinated by SPAB (Society for Protection of Ancient buildings), by staging its always popular Tractor Day.

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Tractor Day organiser John Allsop, of Belper (left) with his tractor (right), and an old colleague John Wright

The sun shone all day so it was pleasantly warm for the big crowd of visitors  who came to the mill.

On site was a very wide range of some 30 vintage tractors, most of which had been lovingly restored.

There was also a large gathering of stationary engines, some of which  were working.

In a tent, the Nunsfield Radio club was hard at work, making contact with numerous  other similar groups located  at other mills also open over the weekend.

2016 Tractors z01In addition the Friends of Heage Windmill ran a fund raising bric a brac stall which attracted a lot of interest and helped the restoration funds.

Also on display were the refurbished sails, waiting to be fitted, and some of the large rotten timbers which had caused the mill to stop working and producing flour.

Replacements have already been fitted and although some more work still is needed, it is getting closer to the date when the sails will turn again.

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