Hopes high for sails to turn again soon at Moulton Mill

The sails of Moulton Mill will soon be turning again, it is hoped, with planning consent now being sought to rectify a failed element of its £2million restoration.

The mill’s fantail was removed around 18 months ago after it sagged when wooden staging began to rot. The issue led the mill to be placed back on the Heritage at Risk register.

Now a listed building consent application has been lodged to allow the replacement fantail to be of a slightly amended design in a bid to avoid future problems.

Project manager Janet Prescott said: “Fundamentally, the problem was down to materials but it has given us the opportunity to look at how the building works and suggest a slight design change.”

The application is now with South Holland District Council and providing it is signed off by April 5, Heritage England has pledged to cover around 75 per cent of the cost of the repairs – expected to come in at around £90,000, as previously reported in The Voice.

A six-month repair project will then get under way. The mill will remain open throughout. In the meantime some shutters have been removed from the sails to prevent damage.

The application said: “The only significant change in appearance is that the fantail will have a smaller platform than the one which was erected in the former restoration project.  
“This element has sagged due to the weight of the fantail and the length of the cantilever. Engineering advice indicates that the projection of the fantail has to be reduced.”

The mill became the tallest working mill in England when it had its sails replaced in 2011 following a £2million restoration. It has been relying on its back-up electric powered stones to grind corn for sale since the fantail issue arose.