Pakenham Watermill
 Pakenham
Water Mill is situated in an unspoilt water meadow valley and
stands on an historical site first mentioned in Saxon Times when
Edward the Confessor gave it to the Abbot of St. Edmundsbury. It
is again mentioned in “The Doomsday Book”. It
was reclaimed by Henry VIII and went into private ownership in
Queen Elizabeth I reign. It remained in use as a country
watermill up to 1970.
The present
mill was mainly built in 1790 – 1800 but part of the Tudor
mill building still remains. The adjoining Mill House also
dates from the Tudor period. Both the mill and Mill House
are Listed Grade II*.
 The Suffolk
Preservation Society, with the Suffolk Building Preservation
Trust, purchased the mill in 1978 and managed to restore it to
working order. However, the Tudor Mill House (part of the
same building) and surrounding buildings remained in separate
private ownership. The mill has been open to the public
and run by volunteers for the past 20 years but has major problems,
through lack of space, in handling groups in excess of 20. There
is nowhere to offer shelter or modern educational facilities
expect by today's visitors. This has resulted in a gradual
decline in coach party visits in recent years. This is
in spite of the mill being open to organised parties all year
round and volunteers operating the mill one morning per week.
The Suffolk
Building Preservation Trust have considered various options for
improving standards for visitors and provide complimentary educational
facilities. This concluded that the best option would be
to purchase the Water Mill Farm thus re-establishing the historical
links between these two buildings. This option has been
endorsed by English Heritage in discussions held over the last
year or more.
Proposals have been developed
to include the Mill House, these are being progressed with the
Trust and Local Authority. Funding is being sort for the
future development.
Visit the Pakenham Water Mill web site by clicking
here
Visit the Suffolk Preservation Society web site by
clicking here |
