Joyland Books

Draper's Mill, Margate is open I believe, this weekend (9th 10th) for SPAB Mills Open Weekend.

Anything that attracts visitors to Margate can only be good news.

Best call and check opening days/times first though.

I think it's Sunday:
National Mills' Weekend Sunday : 2.00 to 4.00 pm

More info:

http://www.joylandbooks.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=1829


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draper's_Mill,_Margate

Won't have time this weekend, but it's an idea for another day this Summer.

I have been there a few times and it's a fascinating place although I was once in Sarre Mill while it was actually milling and the difference between being in a mill which is quiet and a mill which is turning is as great as the contrast between those poor sad silent steam locomotives in the Science Museum and the ones you see on preserved railways thumping and hissing as they get a heavy train moving.

Many mills do still work though:

http://www.tcmg.org.uk/

I buy my flour from here:

http://www.tcmg.org.uk/mills/14

There are others which work, but don't sell the produce commercially, as Health and Safety and other matters mean it can't be. Like this one:

http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/eskmill.htm

What is sad is the number of mills stripped of good, historic machinery to be turned into bijou residences, but that's another story entirely!

More about Draper's Mill:

http://www.millsarchive.com/Kent/kcchlf/kentcc.html

http://www.millsarchive.com/Kent/kcchlf ... ation.html

http://www.engineering-timelines.com/sc ... asp?id=644

(Re locos, I like them running on main lines. The Settle to Carlisle route is magical.)

Maybe this should be in the Heritage section, but never mind!