Raising and dressing a mill stone during the restoration of Abbey Mill.
This shows part of the restoration of the watermill by its then owner, Frank Bonner, in 1954. On the left a millstone is being raised using a block and tackle. This was then laid on a movable frame or hearse to be dressed – to cut a pattern of grooves in the stone to facilitate milling the grain. The stones after long usage had become choked and blunt. The pattern cut was a traditional French burr always used for grinding the wheat and the cutting edges or lands run about twelve to the inch. The dressing is carried out with a tool called a bill (shown in use here right) and is both a tedious and a highly skilled job.
The mill was restored again in the 1970s? by Mr Roy Ward and is still (2024) in working condition.
Date: 1954
Ref: 109 59
This shows part of the restoration of the watermill by its then owner, Frank Bonner, in 1954. On the left a millstone is being raised using a block and tackle. This was then laid on a movable frame or hearse to be dressed – to cut a pattern of grooves in the stone to facilitate milling the grain. The stones after long usage had become choked and blunt. The pattern cut was a traditional French burr always used for grinding the wheat and the cutting edges or lands run about twelve to the inch. The dressing is carried out with a tool called a bill (shown in use here right) and is both a tedious and a highly skilled job.
The mill was restored again in the 1970s? by Mr Roy Ward and is still (2024) in working condition.
Date: 1954
Ref: 109 59
Also in: Bridge Street
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