By Mal Butler
The 1,000-year-old water mill at Calbourne is set to close to visitors for good. The popular tourist attraction had only just reopened but is shutting its doors to visitors for the final time on Sunday, April 14.
The mill’s pit wheel broke down in December, after a tree fell onto the barn housing the machinery. Although the repair featured in the second series of the recent Jewel of the South on Channel on Channel 5, further work needed to be done to ensure its restoration.
The mill was sold to the Chaucer family in 2000, but has been on the market for £1.75 million since last September, having previously been put up for sale in 2018 for £2.3m. Although it reopened for the new season last week, the owners have now decided to close down the site.
The historic mill must be repaired but the rest of the site, including the museum, vehicles, and artifacts, will all be auctioned off on Saturday, May 4, through HRD Auction Rooms, at an event hosted at the mill at 9am. More than 300 lots will be on offer, with presale viewings on Friday, May 3, between 10am-5pm.
One regular visitor said: “It’s sad as I’ve visited many times over the years with the family and enjoyed the beautiful grounds, even the aching limbs on the (already gone) pedal boats, feeding the doves and having them sit on your shoulder and along your arm, the calling peacocks, and the delicious cakes in the cafe.”
Isle of Wight Observer