A 19th century sawmill is being given a new lease of life following a £1m repair programme by the North of England Civic Trust.
Gayle Mill, one of three finalists in a BBC restoration programme last year, will open its doors within a few weeks after a successful fund-raising and restoration effort by the trust, which owns the building.
The trust secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), English Heritage, Yorkshire Forward and others, with HLF providing the biggest single amount – £585,000.
The building is being leased to the Gayle Mill Trust, which will run it as a not-for-profit training, production and visitor centre, focusing on the timber and renewable energy sectors.
Grade II listed Gayle Mill, built as a cotton mill in the 1870s, was converted to a sawmill in the late 19th century and still contains the original Victorian machinery.
New machinery, including a mobile sawmill, is being purchased to enable a range of wood products and services to be offered by the mill.
