November 12th

The first of the cranes arrived yesterday.

Removing the stocks and sails on a windy day in Novemebr was never going to be easy.  The sails were fixed to the stocks with straps and stainless steel bolts which had to be removed before the sails could be parted.  The crane than lifted out the stock from the canister with the other sail still attached.  The second stock was a little more troublesome as the brake slipped just before the first sail could be removed causing the stock to swing 90 degrees.

Finally, and after some expert 'wiggling' by the crane driver, the second stock was lifted clear of the mill.  The sails were removed to the contactors workshop to be repaired and painted.

The scaffolders are due next.

November 9th

A 'cherry picker' arrives so that the sails can easily be accessed and prepared for removal. One sail from each stock will be removed so that the other sail and stock can be removed together using a large crane.

Mill hill is just wide enough for the cranes to get through to the mill but still needs a bit of a trim by 'Honours'.  

November 5th

BT have turned up to redirect three cables to nearby homes that cross the site.  A temporary pole is installed and by the end of the day the site is ready for the cranes.

Some groundwork has been done so that the cranes can sit on a level surface.  There'll be three in use, a cherry picker, one to take off the sales and another for the cap.  All accessing the site from Silver street.

The repointing of the brickwork has to be carried out using lime mortar which will help maintain the structure and preserve the brickwork.  Previous cement mortar repairs must be removed and damaged bricks replaced.  Of course, lime mortar is not just 'lime mortar', the mix is very important and depends to a large extent on what's already there.  The architect will make the final choice.

November 2nd

IJP Building Conservation Ltd, the contractors, move on site and Giles the foreman takes over the Mill.  The architects are The Kenneth Mark Practice Ltd. who have a long standing connection with the mill.

Before anything can happen three BT telephone cables that traverse the site must be redirected around the edge to make room for the cranes needed to remove the sails and cap.