About us

In 2003 Howsham Mill was a ruin hidden in the trees on a small island in the River Derwent, five miles downstream from Malton. The vision of the newly-formed Renewable Heritage Trust was to restore the building back to its Georgian Gothic glory with a new use as an environmental education centre, generating hydro-electricity via the waterwheel and the first Archimedes screw turbine installed in the UK. In 2006 the mill was the northern region finalist on the BBC Restoration Village programme. A Rural Enterprise Scheme grant funded the rebuilding in 2007 of the granary to become the kitchen and house electrical equipment.

Early in 2007 the complicated process of installing the 9.5 t Archimedes screw started. Electricity was generated from the screw and wheel and when connected to the grid, the surplus sold. RHT was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund with match funding from the Country Houses Foundation. In June 2012, Stephen Pickering Ltd, started work on restoring the main part of the building. It is now back to its former glory as it was when abandoned in 1947. Many hundreds of volunteer hours have gone into
the restoration process.