General Chat

My children are quite upset, as a piece of family history has gone.
Bere Mill in Whitchurch, and Laverstoke Mill ares were members of their father's side worked for generations, literally making money, until their grandfather 'broke the mould'.

Looking at censuses, I tracked the family living in various places - within 3 miles of the Mills!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-42986229

It's such a shame that the fire has taken most of the Mill.
Especially when your family history goes back so far.

Daughter and I were messaging, when I mentioned that, at one point, in a group of cottages built by Portal (the factory owner), every other one was lived in by an ancestor of her father.

Her comment?
The local shoe shop must have done a roaring trade!

Strange comment, but my ex has big toes that turn up - as has this daughter.

Daughter would 'wear out' the uppers of her shoes before the soles, as her toe nail wore through the leather :-S

Such a shame about the mill that poor family.

As for the shoes... LOL

The other mill, at Laverstoke, now makes bombay sapphire gin - so all is not lost! :-D

Yep I saw a TV show on that once.....keep your spirits up :-D

I've suggested my girls take their children there, to show them where their ancestors worked.
Of course, granny would have to go to, children and drivers couldn't sample their wares :-D :-D :-D :-D

You'd have to have just a little sample it'd be rude not to....

Of course! :-D :-D

Given the high importance and beauty of this construction it is possible, even probable that it will be restored. Other famous mills have been restored after serious fires e.g. Beaulieu Tide Mill, Houghton (Mill on the Floss)..

One of my rellies was a millwright (water and wind). He was practising until just before ww1 when he died in a mill fire. Eventually his plan chests with lots and lots of drawings and notes came down to me. I gave away the drawings to various interested parties ( though I could have sold them for a tidy sum ) and kept the plan chests which I still have.

All of our tomorrows began with yesterday.

Bere Mill was a private house, so I suppose it depends on the owners, and what's left.

In the last ten years there have been two serious fires of heritage buildings in the village of Sopley on the edge of the New Forest. One gutted a large thatched private dwelling, "The Red House". The other seriously damaged a popular pub "The Woolpack".

Both buildlings have been fully restored.

We can but wait and see.

From the pictures it looks bad wonder if there's enough to restore or enough insurance money.

English Heritage will usually fork out towards fire damage concerning buildings important to our culture and history, large and small. Current large project is the Rene Mackintosh building in Glasgow. A past success after serlous fre damage was the Cutty Sark.

Don't despair.

Not so likely for a private house though surely?

The Rene Mackintosh building and the Cutty Sark were known worldwide.
No too many people will know about Bere Mill.

Do we know how much damage there actually was yet? From the pictures I've seen it looks totally gutted.

Such a shame when anything like this happens. I hope it can be restored.

Lizxx

Such a shame when anything like this happens. I hope it can be restored.

Lizxx