Mills Archive
Encyclopedia
The Mills Archive was established in 2002 to preserve and protect records of mill
ing heritage
and to make them freely available to the public. It is governed by the Mills Archive Trust, which is a charity
that is based at Reading, Berkshire
.
enabled the Archive to launch its internet catalogue in 2003. Other early supporters of the trust included the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
(SPAB), and the Hampshire Mills Group, which donated £200.
The Archive was set up in response to an expressed need to preserve and where possible integrate the various threatened sources of information on the windmills and watermills of the UK and the rest of the world. It was hoped to prevent material being lost on the death of a molinologist
by creating a suitable repository.
"Traditional mills" include mills, similar structures and industrial processes that are or were powered by wind, water, muscle or other power sources, but not the massive modern industrial mills used for steel production and similar large-scale industrial enterprises. "Milling" includes millwrighting and the place of the mill in social and economic as well as technological and architectural history.
and Alan Stoyel. Since its establishment it has been given more than 40 further collections, both large and small.
The Archive currently holds some 1,500,000 items, most of which can be freely inspected by appointment at the Research Centre at Watlington House. Its catalogues are free to use, contain more than 20,000 records and are rapidly expanding. The Archive also maintains a library containing more than 1,000 books on mills, in various languages. Most have been added to the online library catalogue. Apart from its wide use as a source of information about mills and their machinery in archival documents, books and journals , the Mills Archive has become a focus for family history researchers .
More information can be found on the Archive’s main website. Additional information is provided on the website of the Friends of the Mills Archive Trust.
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
ing heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
and to make them freely available to the public. It is governed by the Mills Archive Trust, which is a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that is based at Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
.
History
The Mills Archive Trust was established in 2002. A grant of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery FundHeritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
enabled the Archive to launch its internet catalogue in 2003. Other early supporters of the trust included the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris, Philip Webb and J.J.Stevenson, and other notable members of the Pre Raphaelite brotherhood, in 1877, to oppose what they saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian...
(SPAB), and the Hampshire Mills Group, which donated £200.
The Archive was set up in response to an expressed need to preserve and where possible integrate the various threatened sources of information on the windmills and watermills of the UK and the rest of the world. It was hoped to prevent material being lost on the death of a molinologist
Molinology
Molinology is the study of mills or other mechanical devices which use the kinetic energy of moving water or wind to power machines for such purposes as hammering, grinding, pumping, sawing, pressing or fulling. Muscle-powered mills are also considered to be part of the field...
by creating a suitable repository.
Aims
The Archive aims to focus on (but not be totally restricted to) traditional mills and milling, and seeks to acquire relevant historical and contemporary documentary and illustrative material and small artefacts. The main initial priority is records relating to UK mills, millers and millwrights, chiefly during the 18th–21st centuries, but the Archive intends to extend its coverage worldwide."Traditional mills" include mills, similar structures and industrial processes that are or were powered by wind, water, muscle or other power sources, but not the massive modern industrial mills used for steel production and similar large-scale industrial enterprises. "Milling" includes millwrighting and the place of the mill in social and economic as well as technological and architectural history.
Collections and services
The Mills Archive was originally set up to care for four historically important Foundation Collections: those belonging to the SPAB, Mildred Cookson, Ken MajorKen Major
John Kenneth Major ARIBA, FSA, popularly known as Ken Major was an architect, author and world authority on industrial archaeology, particularly windmills, watermills and animal powered machines. As an author, he was known as J Kenneth Major.-Early life:Ken Major was born in Reading, Berkshire on...
and Alan Stoyel. Since its establishment it has been given more than 40 further collections, both large and small.
The Archive currently holds some 1,500,000 items, most of which can be freely inspected by appointment at the Research Centre at Watlington House. Its catalogues are free to use, contain more than 20,000 records and are rapidly expanding. The Archive also maintains a library containing more than 1,000 books on mills, in various languages. Most have been added to the online library catalogue. Apart from its wide use as a source of information about mills and their machinery in archival documents, books and journals , the Mills Archive has become a focus for family history researchers .
More information can be found on the Archive’s main website. Additional information is provided on the website of the Friends of the Mills Archive Trust.