From 4th November, the Mill will only be open for Steam Days, pre-booked groups and school visits.

The Mill Shop will reopen on 14/01/19 Monday – Friday 9.30am – 15.30. As it is currently undergoing refurbishment.

Steaming Ahead for the Next 5 Years

It was wonderful to see so many people at the recent presentation evening – and again thank you for your support, feedback and commitment to the Mill.

For those of you who could not attend, the 5-year strategy is available from the link below.

Coldharbour Mill Strategic Business Plan 2018-2023 (final)

Works have begun on the restoration of our Economiser house (earliest form of heat exchanger) and the Retort house which produced gas to light the mill and transformed working at the mill in the mid Victorian period. This allowed production to carry on beyond daylight hours. The gas retort also supplied local cottages in the hamlet of Coldharbour.

Our thanks goes to a number of donors for this project: Viridor Credits Environmental Company, The Hobson Charity, Association for Industrial Archaeology, match funding by a private donor and Viscount Amory Charitable Trust.

Our Spring Lambs craft club runs every Tuesday from 10-11 in the Mill. Supported by the postcode lottery, if you are under 8 or over 50 why not join us! Transport can be provided by contacting the Mill and all children must be accompanied by a parent or carer.

Join us for a day of family fun. Celebrate our new outdoor play & picnic area, Victorian Dressing Up Area and entertain the children with demonstrations, crafts and activities. The Sheep Trail will be out helping to explore the Mill (and there will be prizes for every complete trail). The Steam Team will also be on hand fueling the boilers and breathing life into the Mill engines. See if you can spot the smoke from the chimney across the valley and village! Open from 10.30 – 4pm.

After months of waiting the new play area and dressing up zone is complete – just in time for half term and the sunshine. Come down with the family and enjoy a informative, enjoyable and relaxing day out.

We have today launched an ambitious new volunteering programe to celebrate National Volunteering week (1st to 7th June).

Our plan is to create 33,000 hours of volunteering opportunities, where volunteers can come and learn within the Mill environment – ensuring skills developed during the industrial revolution are shared with and for future generations. With its steam engines, water wheel and industrial heritage its not hard to see how this can be achieved,  volunteers can learn how to spin wool, weave and run the engines which will guarantee that this knowledge is passed on to the next generation. Did you know when working the residual heat from the boilers meant that Coldharbour Mill also heated glass houses containing tomatoes and soft fruit and this important piece of social history forms the unique character of Coldharbour Mill.

The Mill of today offers so much more – with opportunities being created for administration, retailing, marketing, event organisation, curating, tour guides and project management as the charity preserves the Mill. Skills which can be used in the wider community.

Martin Halse our CEO of Coldharbour Mill is spearheading this project and is keen to explain “with its diverse heritage, these new opportunities being created are set to promote life-long learning for all our volunteers and the chance for them to share this knowledge with the next generation to preserve traditional skills and keep the industrial revolution alive for future generations”

Ben Fox our Volunteer co-ordinator expands saying “we are a friendly team – and volunteering is a great way to learn and share skills as well as the chance to meet new friends. You don’t have to commit every week, and even if you are only able to offer a few hours we would love to hear from you.”

If you would like more information on how to become a volunteer or join us at one of our volunteer drop in sessions or contact Ben Fox – volunteering@coldharbourmill.org.uk or call 01884 840 960

We are delighted to announce our new membership scheme and is the perfect way of showing your support in preserving the Mill for future generations.

Prices for an adult membership start at just £28 and gives unlimited standard entry to the Mill and other benefits.

Show your support and join the Mill!

More Information

Jess is  22 and has been a volunteer at Coldharbour Mill since August 2017 working on the factory floor and spinning yarn on the amazing old spinning machines.  She studied Textile Design, specialising in woven textiles,  at Manchester School of Art, so the chance to continue working alongside what she loves and enjoy , and spends one day a week back home in Devon,was appealing.

In late September last year she entered one of her handwoven designs into the inaugural Knockaddo Woollen Mill textile competition for the New Woven Textile Designer award. Jess says
“I was fortunate to be selected among  4 other finalists to attend an awards night at ‘Scotland Re-designed’, a very glamorous fashion event in Glasgow where the winner would be announced. I was lucky enough to win the prize, winning £500 and amazingly the production of my design at the mill In Scotland, which will feature my name as the designer on the label. It was such a great experience! “

She now hand-weaves in her studio in Bickleigh producing interior and fashion accessories and spends Thursdays volunteering with us at the Mill producing beautiful yarn.

From Good Friday we will now be open 6 days a week from Tuesday to Sunday. The Mill will be working showing the how the industrial revolution simply transformed the woollen trade in Uffculme and how our Mill changed from a cottage industry to a company with international reputation – supporting the war effort and producing fabric for the rich and famous.
Open from 10.30 – 4.00 it is the perfect family day out.

Opening on Good Friday is the Braziers Café, where visitors can enjoy excellent coffee light lunches, cakes and cream teas.  Following the success of their pop up café at the winter steam days the Wellington based coffee roasters are now in residence full time at the Mill and open to the public throughout the week. With no admission to the Mill required it makes a perfect destination for a walk, cycle or tour – and with free Wi-Fi it also makes the perfect place for an informal business meeting.

The Mill will also be in Steam on Easter Monday. Recognised as one of the best preserved textile mills in the country visitors can see the large Lancashire Boilers generating the steam to power the mill engines and restored beam engine held within the original engine house. Largely untouched since the Industrial Revolution and in production daily ever since, the Mill is the perfect way to bring history to life and see how the Victorians inspired todays industry and technology. It also tells the story of taking wool from sheep to needles with our yarn prepared and spun on heritage machinery. As well as steam, the Mill has its waterwheel dating from 1797 completing the history of power.

The steam team has also been busy over the winter restoring the carpenters shop and the Tangee engine now breathes life into this important part of the mill – and work is underway to restore the machinery and make once again the woodwork required to keep the Mill running.

Our Mill shop has also been stocked over the winter with our beautiful yarns, rugs and textiles as well as items relating to the wool trade.

Easter Steam Day – 10.30am – 4.00pm

Join our popular Easter trail – with Uffculme-based Willie’s Cacao donating the chocolate as the reward at the end of every completed trail.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with a unique day out with the whole family. We will be open from 10.30am – 4.00pm and in steam.

Why not start the day with morning coffee at our new Braziers Café? Run by Wellington-based coffee roasters Braziers the new café boasts some of the finest coffee in the South West guaranteeing you a great start to the day. And with no admission to the Mill required, you can enjoy sitting by the leat even if you are not entering the Mill.

Inside the Mill you will transported back in time to the Victorian age and the heart of the Industrial Revolution with our iconic Lancashire boiler in steam powering a number of period steam engines including our Kittoe and Brotherhood beam engine and rate Pollit & Wigzell 300hp Mill engine.

Coldharbour Mill is one of the oldest working woollen museums in the country – and recognised by Historic England as “one of the best preserved textile Mills in the country”. Today we produce daily 100% yarns and textiles using only heritage machinery and traditional techniques handed down by generations of craftspeople working at the Mill. A stroll round our factory demonstrates the process of taking fleece to yarn – and offers a unique hands-on experience for every visitor.

For lunch, why not treat your mother to lunch in the café followed by a stroll in the newly restored water meadows before returning to the Mill for a traditional cream tea.

Also available for younger visitors will be our children’s trail and popular model railway layout of the Culm Valley Line. We also have a model layout of Sodor where Thomas can be driven.

Our Mill shop will also be open selling our yarns and textiles together with other mementos to remember your day.

Join us at Coldharbour Mill on Sunday 11^th February when we will be bringing the Mill into Steam to make one of the finest sights in Devon.

Open from 10.30 – 4.00pm the Mill’s factory engines and beam engine will be running together with heritage spinning and weaving machinery giving visitors the opportunity to experience life and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. Our team will be on hand to answer questions and provide tours of the Mill which is recognised as one of the oldest and best preserved examples of Victorian industry still in daily use.

Also joining us on the steam day will be local coffee roasters Braziers who will be serving their fine coffee and refreshments ahead of joining the Mill full time in March when they open their latest café next to the leat.

Coldharbour Mill is perfect for all ages with children’s trails and our popular model railway layout of the Culm Valley Line available all day.

We are seeking to appoint an experienced learning practitioner with a passion for designing and delivering innovative learning programmes. In this exciting time of development and expansion, the we wish to consolidate and build on our successful education provision through consultation, creative resource and programme development as well as effective evaluation.

This is an exciting opportunity to create, develop and lead a newly-formed learning programme at Coldharbour Mill. There couldn’t be a better time to become involved as the mill progresses into a new phase of life and education is one of the main areas being developed.

The Learning and Community Engagement Officer will be responsible for the development and delivery of creative learning programmes for all ages. This is a new role devised to facilitate the delivery of the Mill’s new 5-Year Education Strategy. You will lead the development and delivery of consistent, inspirational, high-quality content for families and adult visitors, as well as schools, universities, communities and interest groups.

Full information can be found on our vacancies page – www.coldharbourmill.org.uk/current-vacancies/

In case you missed yesterday’s Western Morning News – here is the full double page spread.

VINTAGE Coldharbour Mill 19 dec 2017 optimised.compressed

Don’t forget the mill will be open between 10.30 and 4.00 and in full steam on New Years Day –
The full team will be on hand spinning, weaving and running the mill engines – while the Cafe will be serving mulled wine and warming snacks, teas and coffees to keep the cold away and welcome in the new year.

With Christmas around the corner, our online shop offers yarn, rugs, throws and more all produced at the mill.
The full range can be seen here