The Eling Experience PROJECT news April 2017 elingexperience.co.uk Artist’s impressions of the new mill and visitor centre interiors (above and below) Update Extension The Grade II* listed Eling Tide Mill, our clerk of works, who will be one of only two of its kind in the overseeing the site for NFDC. country, is a precious part of the We aim to reopen the Eling New Forest’s heritage. In common Experience in March 2018. with many historical renovations, the project to restore and improve Work on site the mill, adjacent visitor centre Several of the remaining parts of and surrounding open spaces has the project will start in May this year. Once the visitor centre extension is proved to be a complex one. Colin nearing completion later in the year Read, who is leading the project for We will begin the improvement to the new exhibition will be installed. New Forest District Council, said: the natural areas around the Eling Both the visitor centre and tide Tide Mill, including enhancing mill will have interactive activities “The project has suffered some access to Goatee Beach and introducing visitors to how the mill delays. We have taken time to fully Bartley Water, installing boardwalks works and even allowing them to understand the complexities and and providing visitor information try their hand at milling flour. get the right specialists involved. boards about the natural habitat I am pleased to say that we will and wildlife. Contractors be awarding contracts, including Meanwhile work will start on the External works: Herbert H Drew Ltd to a number of Hampshire-based Visitor centre extension: Brymor Ltd companies, for the remaining extension to the visitor centre to Mill renovation: HP Contracts aspects of the project in the next house a new larger café. Moving Fit out: Elmwood | Interactives: Aivaf few weeks and work will resume on the café will enable the old space to site in May.” be used as a new flexible area for Contact us learning and community activities. Helen Robinson We are grateful for the continuing Eling Experience manager The delicate job of renovating the 023 8042 4006 patience of local residents. Anyone [email protected] Grade II* listed tide mill building will who has any concerns during the Brian Butcher build can contact Brian Butcher, also get underway in May. NFDC Clerk of Works 07469 858050 [email protected] (from May 2017) Totton and Eling elingexperience Town Council Eling connect Youth panel Last year we set up a youth panel with the Garage youth centre to help us shape the redevelopment of The Eling Experience. Panel members visited SEARCH Hands-on centre in Gosport for a workshop on how to put together a display. They then put what Part of they had learned into practice by creating a display, A Victorian Miller’s Christmas, in a window kindly made available by local the community accountants RA Jones & Co. We have taken part in local events including the Totton & Eling Arts Festival; as well as given talks to groups, Young Reporters beginning with the Chandler Children from Eling Infant Family Society. School visited us during These visitors from the US 2016. Three different wanted to learn more about classes from Years 1 and their ancestor John Chandler 2 explored the mill, the Creating an archive who rebuilt Eling Tide Mill in heritage centre, and outdoor the 1770s. John Chandler’s mill areas at Bartley Water and A group of Cultural Heritage and still stands and he was also Goatee Beach, and heard Resource Management students responsible for building the about the improvements from Winchester University, along corn store opposite the mill, we are making, including with a local resident, have been used today as our visitor centre. helping to measure the width helping us with the long process of the paths to see if they of sorting and referencing our were wheelchair-friendly. photographs, documents and The children wrote up their articles to create an archive. reports on their visit when Our next job is to digitise the they got back to school. collection. New Forest Camera Club is capturing images of the changes to the mill as they happen and their photographs will help to build our archive for the future. Events & activities Local families have joined us for events during the project, with activities from learning about natural science using real specimens to becoming an archaeologist and having a go at digging for artefacts. Last October half term we ran science activities using resources specially made for the Eling Experience and in February half term we ran a textile printing workshop with artist Lorna Jones. Thanks to the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund we are able to offer activities free of charge. Finding out more elingexperience.co.uk elingexperience [email protected] Project newsletters.