Funds totaling £600,000 are to be made available to wind and watermills in England to enable these historic structures to be repaired and set working once again.

The scheme has been launched by environmental and community grant-making charity GrantScape, using monies donated by Waste Recycling Group Limited under the Landfill Communities Fund. It is supported by The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) whose Mills Section is the only national body devoted to the care and repair of traditional wind and watermills.


GrantScape’s new Community Heritage Fund “Windmill and Watermill Challenge” is designed to support local projects to repair these iconic buildings. In total, £600,000 is available and individual awards will range between £50,000 and £100,000. Eligible projects must be accessible to the public and located within 10 miles of a licensed landfill site. They also need to comply with Landfill Communities Fund requirements.

Simon Hudson of SPAB’s Mills Section said: “We are very excited to be working closely with GrantScape on this excellent project. We know that wind and watermills are a cherished feature of the English landscape and this scheme will play an important role in protecting these special buildings.”

(CL/SP)