Pensthorpe Wildlife Trust

A lot our readers will recognise some of the pictures on this post from watching Springwatch over the past couple of years.

We were discussing a possible visit to Westonbirt National Arboretum, where Autumnwatch is being filmed at the moment, on our way home from Plymouth next Monday – weather permitting.

That reminded me that I hadn’t mentioned our visit to Pensthorpe in the Summer.  We spent several hours there and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Looking out from the observation gallery

Looking back to the observation gallery

Humans give way to birds

Part of the Millennium Garden

It’s not all birds

If you are near Fakenham, do visit.  It’s worth it.

Daniels Flour Mill, Bridgnorth Shropshire.

While we were in Shropshire, we visited Daniels Mill, just outside Bridgnorth.

It turned out to be another of those casual visits which became a highlight of the stay.  The current miller gives an interesting and entertaining tour and actually sets the wheel turning and grinds flour while visitors watch.

Alan has written about the technical details here so I’ll leave them out.

To give you an idea of the scale, the wheel is 38 ft (11.6m) and is the largest cast iron waterwheel in England driving a corn mill.

The earliest reference to the mill is in the late 15th century, though it would have been much smaller and the wheel was probably made of wood.  The present wheel was cast in Coalbrookdale in 1854 and installed soon after.  The mill ground all kinds of grain for animal feed but, in common with many other small industrial enterprises, the mill closed when the last miller died in 1957.

Now, thanks to money from Grantscape, the wheel turns again and wheat is being ground for sale in Health food and speciality shops and, of course, it can be bought at the mill.

And very tasty bread it makes, too.