Thank you to The Jack Brunton Trust

Thanks to a grant from the Jack Brunton Trust we have been able to furnish a small modern workshop on the lower ground floor of the Mill.

This carefully chosen collection of modern woodworking machinery enables us to tackle vital maintenance and repair tasks around the Mill.

Although we take a pride in using the original Victorian machinery whenever we can, it is not always safe to do so and this machinery provides a welcome addition to our kit.

Some of our volunteers have also begun to learn new skills such as a bit of wood turning and joinery from each other, expanding our skills base and adding to their enjoyment and passion for the Mill.

Sitting Pretty! An Update on the Benches

After many hours of work renovation of the village benches for Thwaite was completed in the Autumn.

Their feet were replaced with scarfed in new ones made from pieces of the original wood that could be saved from the warped and broken seat slats.

New hardwood slats were added where necessary and joints mended strengthened and secured.

Where possible the wood was cut and prepared using the original 19th Century water powered machinery.

Once mended both benches were treated to a full rub down and several coats of teak oil and their memorial plates polished, lacquered and refitted.

They are now back in Thwaite where they belong, next to the bus stop where the Coast to Coast, the Pennine Way and the Herriot Way converge.

We are doing something useful!

We are currently a small band of volunteers working together to try to preserve Gayle Mill and its varied and fascinating history.

There is now water flowing along the millrace again and the turbine and machines are functioning. We man tours of the Mill every Thursday which include an account of its history from 1784 to the present day along with demonstrations of the turbine and some of the Victorian woodworking machinery. For this we ask for a small donation from visitors all of which goes back into the Mill.

Until now we have been demonstrating the woodworking machinery using old wood scraps which has not been particularly productive. However we have just taken on our first little Community project. We offered to renovate two memorial benches for the village of Thwaite in Swaledale. The hardwood benches had been donated to the village some time ago and have provided a welcome perch for foot-weary walkers and many a passenger waiting for the Little White Bus over the years.

The benches themselves are now in need of a bit of R and R, their tired feet are in fact rotted away and their seats missing a plank or two. With the permission of the families of the donors the benches have been whisked away to the Mill where they have been given a jetwash and a measure up ready for a spruce up and repairs. We now have something meaningful to run through the machines as we demonstrate. We are doing something that will be of benefit to the community as well as the Mill and ourselves.

Regular updates can be found on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GayleMill1784 and we promise to post pictures here of the benches once the renovation is complete.