Pann Mill Times gives news of the restoration of this corn mill, a project of the High Wycombe Society. The site, only three minutes walk from the High Street, is owned by Buckinghamshire Council (formerly Wycombe District Council).

The River Wye has powered corn mills here for over 900 years; the last mill was demolished in 1971, and most of its contents destroyed. However, the splendid 1860 waterwheel remained, defiant of the vagaries of time and man!. Some years later, as attitudes to heritage and conservation changed for the better, the possibility of milling again on this historic site began to appeal to the Society. Consequently, a mill engineer J Kenneth Major, was commissioned in 1977 to report on the situation. Two quotations from the report show the pessimistic view taken at the time of Pann Mill’s future:

The possibility of grinding corn again with millstones, came with the acquisition of substantial milling equipment and a modest new building. The equipment was rescued from a farm mill at Drayton Parslow near Bletchley in North Bucks, and the building was funded by Marks & Spencer. Further second hand equipment has since been donated by various milling friends; a wooden cover for the stones - a TUN – is our only outstanding essential requirement.

On September 7th visitors will see for the first time the SPOUT in position. This is a wooden pipe which will direct flour from the stones into the sack. Still a year or two away from demonstration milling, there is now a clear indication of how the mill will work, when we have fitted a TUN and connected up the drive mechanism.

Water?

The poor water flow this summer is not sufficient to turn the waterwheel - although last September we just managed to coax the wheel into action. However, thanks to Thames Water pic, who have a Pumping Station adjacent to Pann Mill, water used for necessary test purposes, will be pumped into the river on Open Day, September 7th. to enable the waterwheel to turn again.

THIS DIAGRAM shows the four main features of the process of making stoneground flour in a watermill. The operations between 3 and 4, the actual milling process, are common to all traditional flour mills. However, the means of transmitting energy to the runner stone can vary between mills. Here at Pann Mill no fewer than nine wheels of various kinds are involved in turning the runner stone.

The ‘basics’ of milling grain with stones remained unchanged for hundreds of years until the end of the last century. Then, large metal roller-mills were built in the docks to grind hard winter wheats grown in the USA This development sounded the death-knell of commercially viable stone-grinding in the thousands of small mills in this country.

Since 1984 the High Wycombe Society has worked towards re-establishing demonstration milling at Pann Mill using sound conservation principles; probably 99% of our timber and machinery is reclaimed. Corn milling on this ancient site will benefit all who value our local heritage; children in particular will have the opportunity to discover more about the flour that goes into a burger bun!

We look forward to publishing our next news-sheet next March when the working party will report on their winter progress.