THE NATIONAL Trust last week announced a double initiative to make its Cotehele Mill at St Dominick more carbon neutral — and at the same time bring its traditional workshops back to life.
By September 2009, the Trust hopes to complete a hydro project to generate enough energy for the site and also have local craftsmen in place to demonstrate their skills in the various workshops.
The hydro-project will hopefully reduce the charity's carbon footprint by around eight tonnes per year.
A turbine will be positioned upstream from the mill and will create enough electricity for the mill and two holiday cottages.
The present mill was probably built at different times in the 18th century. The water supply is taken from the Morden stream, which runs down the picturesque valley and eventually into the River Tamar at Cotehele Quay.
Anthea Hagger, who previously worked for the trust as a volunteer at Cotehele, has been appointed the new manager of the mill complex.
She said: 'We really want to bring Cotehele Mill back to life, bring the hustle and bustle back to a place which was once a hive of activity in its heyday.
'We've been asking our visitors what they like and we will also be developing more events throughout the year.'
The mill complex was once a bustling area at Cotehele with the mill, bakery and sawmill serving the needs of the Cotehele estate.
The trust hopes to restore the old bakery as part of the project — either as a demonstration or a fully functioning bakery selling freshly cooked goods.
A further area to receive a boost will be the workshop areas.
Barry Mays, a traditional furniture maker now in residence at the mill said: 'Cotehele Mill provides me not only with an ideal working ambience, but also with sustainable timber for my chairs from the surrounding woodlands.
'Visitors to the mill appreciate being able to see rural skills in practice and leave with a better understanding of the natural way of things from the past to the present.'