Historic Kent Landmark revived

Accoya Wood has been used to restore a 19^th century wind powered mill to its former Georgian glory. The restoration of the Tower Mill, also known as Reeds Mill was undertaken by husband and Wife team Pete and Nikki Fagg. The Mill thought to date back to the 1820’s, located in Kingston, Kent, was altered from an abandoned mill into a residential paradise in just 10 months.

Accoya, manufactured by Accsys Technologies using a non-toxic proprietary modification technology and using only fast growing sustainable timber was used to provide a traditional cap to the mill. The cap is at the very heart of how a windmill works, it is here the sails are fitted. The mill drives three pairs of millstones which grind the wheat. The cap is able to rotate a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, to always face the wind. The mill had been without a cap for nearly one-hundred years, the previous one having been destroyed by a devastating storm in 1915.

The restoration process began in September 2010 after Pete and Nikki successfully sold their family home in Hull, Humberside. Armed with an initial £175,000 the restoration had to stick to a tight fiscal budget. In addition to the cap, Accoya, which was supplied by James Lathams, was also used to clad all the external joinery of the building, the sliding doors and all window profiles due to its exceptional durability and stability properties.

Michael Gibbs, local architect said “The cap was not actually part of the original renovation design but we felt it would add the traditional touch and fully restore the building to its previous grandiose. Obviously anything that sits so high up in the air is fully exposed to all the elements, the choice of material had to be based on this fact. Accoya seemed the only workable option, its stability and durability appealed and did its guarantee not to wilt in the inclement conditions”

Accsys Technologies UK sales manager Justin Peckham was delighted for Accoya to be part of the project. “The final finished design looks absolutely stunning; it really is an amazing transformation. I am so glad that Accoya could be a part of such a wonderful restoration by such an inspiring couple”.

Tragically, Nikki Fag was unable to view the completed project; she sadly lost her battle with cancer in August of 2011. The windmill stands as a tribute to her. The windmill was recently featured on Channel Four’s Restoration Man programme.

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