Woodbridge Tide Mill to Replace Water-Damaged Wooden Frame

A tide mill, one of only two in the UK still producing stoneground wholemeal flour, is scheduled for refurbishment after the trust managing it secured approximately £17,000 in grants. The Trustees of Woodbridge Tide Mill Museum received about £12,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £5,000 from East Suffolk Council. This funding is designated for work on its Hurst frame, a timber structure that supports the machinery harnessing the River Deben’s tides for grain milling. Owing to rising sea levels, the frame spends considerable time submerged in salty river water, leading a timber survey to recommend structural repairs. The lower sections are planned to be replaced with brickwork, with completion expected by mid-December. The existing mill is 220 years old, though the earliest documented mill on the same site dates back to the 12th Century. As part of the project, sections of the lower part of both Hurst frame legs will be cut away and replaced with engineering brickwork. John Carrington, chair of Woodbridge Tide Mill Charitable Trust, stated: “We are delighted to have received the support from National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and East Suffolk District Council.” He further added: “This enables us to do this essential work without dipping into our reserves. “The mill is of national importance, and because of its age and location needs continual maintenance. Our reserves mean that we can respond quickly if an urgent repair is needed.”