Monday 26th November saw the start of work on the small mill building after a 4 year battle to save it from destruction. The first phase of basic structural work should be finished by March 2013. We have been working in Partnership with Sheffield City Council and funding has been provided from the Heritage Lottery Fund; our funders include Sheffield Town Trust, Charles Hayward Foundations, SCC, the S.W. Community Assembly & Big Lottery CSEP Fund.
There has been a mill on the site for about 1000 years with the current building probably on a similar footprint to Sir John Bright’s total restoration of the mill in 1679 for the grand cost of £170! The mill has been the story of how Sheffield fed itself first with water power taken from the River Sheaf by the Skate Park and later by steam. The Mill closed in 1939.
The redundant buildings have been used as a maintenance depot and storage by Sheffield City Council but for the last 6 years have lain mostly abandoned to the elements and decay. The dangers were that the buildings would be sold or fall down so we took up the challenge to save the small mill building, then the whole site by bringing it into productive use.
Currently we are £9.2k short of what we need to finish this phase and have a building where we can attract a commercial user and gain community use. Period doors, windows, stairs, under-floor heating, wall pointing and fitting out remain to be done and we are working with the community to achieve these goals. Additionally we need to clear the space round the building to achieve a small but protected entrance and courtyard.
Friends of Millhouses Park 