Pakenham Water Mill has now closed for the winter. We will re-open for the 2012 season on Friday 6^th April (Good Friday)

During November/December 2011, the following repair works will be undertaken;

• The pond will be dammed and then drained to allow a new waterproof membrane to be inserted against the mill end of the pond. Over the past year, it has not been possible to raise the level of the water in the pond as much as the millers wanted, because this resulted in flooding inside the mill.
• Following the replacement of the buckets on the wheel, some of them will have to be removed, in order to gain access to the area below the sluice where ancient brickwork is crumbling.

We will be unable to mill until these repairs are complete, but have built up a stock of flour, and will be able to continue to supply all our outlets. Members of the public wishing to purchase flour can also visit the mill on Thursday mornings (9.30am – 11.30am) when the volunteers will be continuing with their maintenance work.

We will also be taking the opportunity to have the stones re-dressed over the winter.

The mill will be open on Sunday 4^th December, 2011, when Father Christmas will visit the Mill. The doors will open at 3pm, and Father Christmas will arrive at 4.30pm. Please look out for local publicity nearer the date.

If you wish to arrange a group visit for 2012, or have any other queries, please contact the Curator, David Eddershaw, on 01284-724075.

The parish of Pakenham is unique in Britain in having both a working watermill and a working windmill.

The 18th century watermill, the last working watermill in Suffolk and now owned by the Suffolk Building Preservation Trust, is on a Domesday site. Here, for almost a thousand years, millers have been using the simple technology of water power to produce stone-ground wholemeal flour from locally-grown wheat. The mill is maintained and operated by a team of dedicated volunteers who continue the tradition.

Water from Pakenham Fen collects in the beautiful mill pond to turn the 16 foot high iron water-wheel that drives the mill-stones which turn the wheat into flour. The friendly guide will show you how the mill works, how to hoist sacks of wheat to the top of the mill, what the damsel does, the 1904 Blackstone oil engine, and much more besides.

In the former miller’s house next door you can see the old kitchen with its 18th C. brewing vat and bread oven.

There are pleasant walks beside the mill-pond, a beautiful setting with excellent opportunities for taking photographs, sketching and painting – or you can just sit and enjoy the view!