Plans have been unveiled to transform Alston’s historic Hill Mill building into a “craft hub” complete with artists’ workshops and a heritage centre which could become a massive tourist attraction for the area.
Jon Muir, aged 26, of Nenthead, has owned the building since March and is in the process of seeking planning permission for the project, which was sparked by him just wanting a workshop of his own for his furniture-making business.
High Mill has been empty for a number of years following the departure of Bonds Precision Castings to its Potters Loaning site on the edge of town.
“I was working closely with a blacksmith over in Middleton-in-Teesdale and the pair of us were under the same landlord.
“We thought it would be nice if we set up a social enterprise and we could be our own landlords and invite other people in,” said Jon.
Alston’s High Mill was designed in 1767 by John Smeaton. Considered to be the world’s first civil engineer, he also founded the globe’s first engineering society, the Society of Civil Engineers, in 1771.
The wheel, which can be seen today, was installed between 1815 and 1817. It is set to become a focal point for the heritage centre, should planning permission be granted.
There would be room for 17 workshops, said Jon, but one of them could be split into five separate units, so, in total, there could be up to 21 spaces for artists and crafters.
“We have a print maker, a ceramicist, painters of different types, a textiles worker, a leather worker, and we have the Alston Men’s Shed (group) as well.
“I can’t wait for them to get in there. They are brilliant,” said Jon.
He added that one of the more unusual aspects about the High Mill building is that it has a “secret room”.
“Half the basement is inaccessible,” he explained, saying that you can see on Smeaton’s original drawings that there are doorways which should lead into it, but they are blocked up. “We don’t know when that was blocked up,”
said Jon.
One theory is that it could house the building’s old milling machinery and Jon is keen to shine a light on the mystery, but, as the building is Grade II* listed, he can’t do anything until permission has been obtained.
“I need listed building consent before I can go touching this building and that should hopefully be through within the next couple of months,” he said.
A full application needs to be lodged with Westmorland and Furness Council to turn the High Mill building and former factory into individual craft workshop units, along with a heritage centre which would span out to include the water wheel and then into the “secret room” — depending what is in it.
The plan is also to have a community room opposite the heritage centre which will be an open space, with a big table down the centre, and the artists will be able to run craft workshops in it for eight to 10 people.
The heritage centre would be about 400 square foot in size, but that would double if they were able to use the “secret room”. Its main focus will be to tell the story of Smeaton and his involvement in Alston, which includes the Nent Force Level.
“He died well before it was finished,” said Jon. “The Nent Force level took 150 years to build and there is not really anywhere that talks about it here.
“He did a few other bits and pieces around here when he was working for the Greenwich Hospital. We want to promote him and other bits of heritage around Alston.
“We want to entice people into this area and give footfall to the artists. All their details, including how to contact them, will be on the wall as you come
in.”
Gordon Cameron, of Alston, who used to work for Precision Products which became Bonds Precision Castings, said in its heyday the company employed nearly 70 people and would have been Alston’s biggest employer.
He was pleased to hear about the plans for the workshops, formerly used by Precision Products, being opened up for artists in the town.
In the 1960s, Precision Products was a world leader in producing golf club heads, and Avnet, a big American Company, then licensed the Shaw casting process, first used by the Alston Moor-based company, around the world.
Gordon’s wife, Ann, who is a member of Alston Moor Historical Society, said her father could remember it operating as a mill when he was a young boy.
She said it would be good for Alston to have the building being brought back into use.
