Welcome to Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

IMPORTANT NEWS: COUNTY COUNCIL CONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE OF HERITAGE IN LINCOLNSHIRE The County Council is under severe pressure to reduce non-statutory services. Consequently the future provision of services in the Heritage sector is about to change. A consultation document was prepared and the closure date has now passed The documentation may still be available at FURTHER READING IS AVAILABLE AT THE PAGE Heritage Threat OPENING TIMES for 2019 Free entry & lots of free parking Saturdays & Sundays from 2 pm to 4.30 pm Wednesday opening begins in late June & ends in September. Wednesday Open: 10.30 am to 4 pm

A unique experience as you step back in time. The mill is very much a heritage piece as you might expect of a Grade 1 listed building. While some historians think the mill was built around 1813, a map from 1810 shows a windmill already on the site. The current mill tower was most likely built in 1844. What is certain is that the mill was worked as a commercial concern by the last owners, Dobsons, until the 1960s. It was then purchased for preservation by the County Council and has been run since by groups of volunteers. The BLM Heritage Group is now custodian of the site.

for more information contact enquiries@burghlemarshwindmill.co.uk Should you wish to book a visit this can usually be arranged with 48 hours notice

Live History Theatre

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

for our initial response to the news about the Heritage Proposals please follow this link Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre Special Events 2019 This list is not complete yet as some details are not fully available but is based on the calendar of regular Annual Events we hold at The Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre Saturday 30 March Discover Lincolnshire Weekend Sunday 31 March The start to our season when we open the mill and Heritage Centre to visitors Free drinks for visitors; Very much dependent upon the weather! Monday 29 April End of Season for our Monday Group Special ticketed event with entertainment by Lincolnshire folk lore group ‘Far Welted’ Saturday 11 May National Mills Weekend Sunday 12 May A National Event when visitors are invited to visit via the National Mills Organisation website Saturday 08 June Garden Party (members only) Celebrating the Queen’s official birthday; members receive a special invite as a ‘thank you’ for their support Saturday 5th July Festival Day Our Annual Event with stalls and entertainment on the paddock, this year we are planning some extra activities Saturday 14 September Heritage Open Days Sunday 15 September Saturday 21 September Sunday 22 September Another National Event when visitors are invited to the Heritage site Brief talks on the topic of engineering in windmills Saturday 28 September Macmillan Coffee Morning Our Annual Charity Fund Raising Event Tuesday 01 October Lincolnshire Cheese and Chine Day Special ticket only event, open to all Ticketed in advance to avoid waste and congestion Friday 01 November Theatre Group Visiting Saturday 02 November Our friends from Canada are visiting for schools’ drama workshops and a novel, interactive theatre experience for adults Saturday 14 December Santa In the Mill Wonderful day for the children of the town to meet Santa with presents provided by the Town Council; craft stalls in the granary; entertainment

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

SPECIAL EVENT Saxons and Vikings

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

Monday Meetings

In 1975 a group of enthusiasts set up Burgh le Marsh History Group. This group continued until it merged with the Friends of Burgh le Marsh Windmill and the newly formed Heritage Group in 2014. Meetings had been held regularly on Monday evenings during the winter months. To boost attendance, the meetings are now held on a Monday afternoon. The current programme is displayed below.

2018 17 September New season introduction & welcome 24 September 'Only in India' Ian Maber 01 October Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese & Chine Day LINCOLNSHIRE DAY SPECIAL 08 October Introduction to International Bomber Command Centre Barry Wallis 15 October ‘We’ll Meet Again’ – WW2 Museum, Freiston Shore VISIT 22 October 'True stories of a lorry driver & furniture removal man' Len Priestley 29 October 'From scrapyard to MOT' John Child 05 November The mountains of Pakistan Mark Middleton 12 November DVD 19 November Engineering Wonders of the Waterways Melanie Leader 26 November DVD 03 December 'You cannot be serious... tales of a Wimbledon Umpire1988 - 2012' Alan Gray MBE 10 December Along the Foss Canal Chris Hewis 17 December Pantomimes (Christmas Special) Neil Watson 2019 14 January DVD 21 January The Story of Gibraltar Point Barrie Wilkinson 28 January Lincolnshire's Railways Alan Stennett 04 February DVD 11 February The History of Windmills Malcolm Ringsell 18 February Viking Lincoln(shire) Dr Erik Grigg 25 February DVD 04 March Me and the sea Michael Clark 11 March Lincolnshire – A Naturalist's Paradise Steve Lovell 18 March DVD 25 March TBA VISIT 01 April 'A walk through Louth' Stuart Sizer 08 April DVD 15 April Picture Postcard Railway Rambles - The Hope Valley Line Stephen Gay 22 April NO MEETING EASTER 29 April 'Far Weltered – poems & stories in dialect' END OF SEASON SPECIAL: BUFFET Meetings begin at 2pm each Monday in the Granary Heritage Centre. Entry is £3 including a raffle ticket (reduced to £2 for DVDs). Membership is free.

We are introducing a monthly ‘Summer Teas Afternoon’ for members to enjoy a chat and a ‘tea with cakes’. these will be bookable in advance to avoid waste The first one is on Monday 20th May - ‘Muffin Day’

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

Some of the many photographs we have in our collection of memorabilia in our Heritage Collection

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

Dobson’s Mill in Burgh le Marsh While some historians think the mill was built around 1813, a map from 1810 shows a windmill already on the site, this particular mill tower could possibly be the one described as ‘newly built’ in 1850s! The windmill is one of two built in Burgh in the mid- 19th century. The other mill fell into disrepair in the 30s. It has now been renovated and is a private residence. The miller’s of Burgh were: Before 1810 - c. 1840 Thomas Jessop c. 1840 - 1855 Agur (or Agar) Jessop 1856 - c. 1880 John Hewitt Jackson c. 1880 - c. 1885 Robert Barker c. 1885 - c. 1913 Mrs Susan Barker c. 1913 - 1930 Martin Barker 1930 - 1965 E Dobson & Sons The windmill is preserved as a heritage site and gives a clear picture of a windmill at work in the early 20th century.

Burgh’s History in pictures In the Granary building on the windmill site, there is a fascinating time-line display showing the history of Burgh le Marsh from early times up to the present. This is accessible by stair lift. Other historic sites of interest The other grade 1 listed building in the town is the parish church. The centre of the village is a conservation area and the market place and the surrounding streets have changed very little in recent times. Another focal point of interest is Cock Hill (so called because it is believed cock fighting was organised there in the past). This is a preserved site with Roman and Anglo Saxon connections. A series of pictures in the wrought iron railings depict Burgh’s heritage. All of these are within walking distance of the mill site. There is ample parking on our site and it is free.

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre @ Dobson’s Mill

The 5 sailed windmill that turns clockwise

HERITAGE UNDER THREAT On behalf of Burgh le Marsh Heritage Group based at Dobson’s Mill, I wish to draw your attention to the following developments in the life of Lincolnshire’s Heritage as it affects our group. History Timeline The Burgh le Marsh Heritage Group has been in existence since 2011 and in 2013 merged with The History Group and the Friends of Burgh Windmill, both longstanding local groups. In 2013 The History Group’s ‘museum’ was relocated to the Mill Granary from the old school buildings where the items were stored in boxes, no longer on display, and retitled a Heritage Trail to avoid the constraints and expense of museum authentication. This has been regularly updated with the assistance of grants from various sources and is now almost completely up to date with new signage, information boards and display cases. Local people regularly provide us with fresh items which we try to incorporate into our displays. Alongside this we have just revamped the tea room layout, having recently replaced the utility furniture and, through grants from the Marsh Heritage Project, the other display areas have been a ‘work in progress’ - this is taking some time to get right but is now almost reaching its conclusion. Throughout this time, we have duly brought about the restoration of the mill to provide a working example of a unique Victorian building. As the mill site is owned by Lincolnshire County Council, this has not been easy, and more recently almost impossible, as the County Council finances have been stretched to the point that the rate of even general maintenance costs has proven too much for the shrinking budget. Historically, our mill has always been the last to be repaired due in some measure to a minimal input from previous groups responsible for running the mill. We now have a membership approaching 100 as we have taken measures to increase the use of the outbuildings surrounding the mill by 500%, and, as a result of our maintaining an all-year-round presence, we have expanded the footfall of visitors (tourists and regulars) to the site. Developments The most recent development is the production of a series of documents by the County Heritage Department, including a lengthy document that focuses on the future development of a few heritage sites and dismisses the benefits to the County of Lincolnshire, via its County Council, of keeping a broader spectrum of heritage amenities by enthusing about and delineating the financial benefits of producing ‘Super Sites’ in Lincoln (The Castle and The Collection) while marginalising or abandoning the real heritage of this farming county. The importance of maintaining Heritage to all areas of society is acknowledged in the document’s preamble yet has to be discarded as an uneconomical fringe benefit in its current format, given that the remit is to reduce expenditure. The areas we consider to be equally important are local community involvement, education, tourism (the 2000+ visitors we have per year bring revenue into the town - we always encourage them to explore the Grade 1 listed church and the Market Place Conservation Area as well as to visit the local hostelries for further refreshments) and the provision of a unique heritage experience. This is defined by Heritage England, the Government’s overseeing body, as ‘non-use values’ (Heritage and the Economy 2018: Heritage Counts). Our visitor engagement is equal in importance to the ‘unique experience’ of visiting any other ‘microsite’, especially when considering the local economy and the local importance of the town's heritage story. Therefore, we have to approach this next phase of the life of the mill in a positive manner. Funding The County Council, having prudently assumed responsibility for the upkeep of several Heritage sites many years ago, has now been forced to consider abrogating this commitment due to the depletion of their revenue and to assume a ‘legally obliged’ attitude rather than a ‘morally and socially responsible’ outlook. This expenditure is currently in the region of £1.1 million, that is 0.3% of the total annual Council budget. The sticking point in all of the deliberations is not the £1.1 million but the costings for the repair and upkeep of the buildings - which in the case of windmills receives a perfunctory mention and apparently only surfaces later in the documentation when considering the maintenance of Lincoln Castle. ‘The historic environment is constantly changing, but each significant part of it represents a finite resource. If it is not sustained, not only are its heritage values eroded or lost, but so is its potential to give distinctiveness, meaning and quality to the places in which people live, and provide people with a sense of continuity and a source of identity. The historic environment is a social and economic asset and a cultural resource for learning and enjoyment.’ (Heritage England) There are obvious inaccuracies in the proposal documents due to generalisations and these might need to be addressed as we go forward. Other considerations, such as the huge benefits of heritage conservation, quoted above, are considered and rejected, as the main criteria applied in the proposals is the financial implications of maintaining the status quo, which is seen as untenable. It is also true to state that, certainly in the case of Dobson’s Mill, Burgh le Marsh, the sites may have fallen foul of the diverse, disparate method of administration that seems to prevail in the management of County Council assets. Future Involvement The following statements are copied from the documentation presented for discussion: • The Council would seek to transfer ownership and/or operation of remaining microsites at Discover Stamford, and Ellis Mill, Burgh le Marsh and Alford Windmills but, if that was not possible, they would close as heritage attractions. • Any proposals, however, will require consideration of the offer and take into account the wider benefit of heritage to the economy and well-being. • With the exception of Lincoln Castle all of the Council's heritage attractions are microsites telling a single story through fixed exhibitions. • Heckington Windmill is a unique Lincolnshire visitor attraction showcasing Lincolnshire's rich agricultural history and forming part of the Lincolnshire DNA. The uniqueness in this windmill is its eight maintained sails. The Heckington Windmill attraction could not be replicated in the other supersites. • ……. the Council would seek to preserve the availability of Ellis, Alford and Burgh Le Marsh windmills through working with community groups and volunteers for them to offer access to those sites; The anomalous situation we find ourselves in is that there is no positive indication as to the amount of transfer of responsibility anticipated, rather, as a group, we are expected to drive forward a proposal that we might consider feasible. The two statements above (1 & 5) that refer indirectly, and in general terms, to the overall financial and legal responsibilities involved in the proposals are non-committal as they are consultation statements. We have recently been allowed access to financial costings for the general running of the site, which could easily fall within a proposal budget. The one reply we have not been able to acquire is the responsibility for the maintenance of the mill building itself. This would put a totally different complexion on the matter should any group be expected to assume the upkeep, as the annual costings would immediately spiral beyond the income of any single voluntary body. These costs have not been included in those supplied to us and, as far as we can gather, are not included in the Heritage budget amount (£1.1 million) under discussion. Again, we fall in between two stools as the property maintenance of the site has never been clearly defined as a Heritage section remit, we have always dealt with the Services Department for all repairs and the County's appointed millwright submits monthly condition reports to another department. We do take cognisance of the general statement above ‘seek to preserve the availability of’. The level of availability and public access can only be maintained and expected to be improved upon if the mill is fully functional. ‘The best advert we have is the sails turning’ has long been a slogan of ours. These are currently imponderables as the second statement above mentions ‘the wider benefit of heritage to the economy and well-being’. A positive that we can take heart from, possibly, and which seems to imply a desire to work together towards a more global approach with a level of County Council involvement that will maintain a countywide heritage connection despite seemingly focusing on Lincoln as seems to be the case in the current finance-driven proposals. Looking at the other quotations, there is a very strong case for asserting that ‘microsites’ are invaluable in the telling of the local story (The National Trust & English Heritage’s continuing success is reliant mainly on the enthusiasm for visiting microsites!) and also affirming that Heckington windmill is not the only ‘unique mill’. It is true to say that, given the sparsity of working windmills, especially in what could once have been named ‘Windmill County’ (over 800 mills including 380+ tower mills), any mill will be able to claim to be unique in some form. The visible aspect of Heckington mill, its eight sails, is easy to understand and so is our uniqueness if the sails are turning. Dobson’s mill is the only five sailed, left-handed, tower mill still capable of working in the country. It is also true to say that, while our mill has unfortunately been underused as an attraction previously, it has not been interfered with by enthusiastic yet insensitive volunteers and therefore we have a working mill that offers a truer picture of a Victorian windmill than any other in the county. The County’s own documentation states ‘The mill tower is recognised as being one of the best examples of the Lincolnshire type’ and ‘…….the mill can justly be described as having national significance and outstanding importance for the county of Lincolnshire’ are quotes from the Mill Conservation Plan. Our position then is one of uncertainty as we have no real indication as to the County preferred involvement, if any, in the future. we reiterate the necessity for us to obtain a definite answer as to the future ownership, and therefore the maintenance, of this Grade 1 Listed building at Burgh le Marsh. However, hopefully, we shall be meeting to discuss this and inviting County Officers to a Public Meeting as soon as possible. Burgh le Marsh Mill The proposal is that the site would no longer be part of the Lincolnshire County Council Heritage Service offer. The Heritage Service will explore the transfer of ownership and/or full operational responsibility for the mill to a third party. If the service cannot transfer the ownership or lease the mill the site may close as a public attraction. This statement is taken from the latest Consultation documents and gives the clearest indication of the mood of the proposals. In considering the statement, it leaves us somewhat unclear as to a preferred option, although one might assume the transfer of ownership would be the favoured as the maintenance costs of a windmill are quite prohibitive when compared to the general revenue obtainable from visitor footfall. Our preferred option would be to clarify the alternative ‘the transfer of …… full operational responsibility for the mill to a third party’. This would need clear definition as to the continuing involvement of the County Council. In particular an assurance is needed that maintenance and repairs would be carried out on a more regular basis than is currently the case to ensure the availability of the mill as a working machine.