This year we will have with us a miller/baker from Fermento Mill and Bakery in East Sussex where corn is ground by electric powered millstones and bread baked in wood fired ovens. The bread is very close to what was produced from Ifield mill a hundred and fifty years ago. Visitors to this open day will be able to sample the bread for themselves!
All floors of the mill are fully accessible by stairs and the mill is fitted with stair lifts to allow people with limited mobility who are able to use stairlifts access to all floors. Unfortunately we don't have a lift that can accommodate wheelchairs, so only the ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users. The toilet is also accessible. If you would like further advice please contact us.
There is a great deal of machinery and many artefacts on display, including some rescued from long gone or converted mills in Sussex and the South of England. From other displays you will be able to learn about the lives of the millers who worked at the mill. There is also a section about the iron industry which played such a large part in the life of this part of Sussex before the Industrial Revolution.
From an upper storey there is a lovely view of the huge and tranquil mill pond. We also aim to have the mill's water wheel turning on our open days which in itself is a wonderful sight.
You will be welcomed by friendly and knowledgeable volunteers on each of the mill's floors and there is a small souvenir shop on the ground floor. We look forward to welcoming you on Sunday 11th May or to one of our other open days in 2025.
Ifield Watermill is off Hyde Drive in Ifield RH11 0PL. For further details about the mill, where we are, modes of travel, parking and future open days, please see the Ifield Mill section of the Crawley Museums website https://crawleymuseums.org
Colin Lloyd on behalf of Crawley Museums