As one of only a handful of working mills in Yorkshire, Worsbrough Mill grinds around 16 tons of grain each year, keeping local bakeries and artisan bread makers powered by flour. But that’s where the good news ends: our beloved mill needs your help to keep its wheels grinding.
The upright shaft, a 5m long piece of oak installed back in the 1970s, has seen better days and is warped beyond repair. If we keep milling, the vibrations could damage our precious, centuries-old building so, for now, we’ve had to hit pause on flour production.
Fixing this isn’t easy—it takes a specialist millwright, a rare breed of individual, and with only a few left in the UK, the cost to restore Barnsley’s pride and joy is a hefty £40,000. This includes a brand-new, hand-picked oak shaft and the delicate expert work needed to replace the old shaft with a new one and then get the mill working once again.
Photo credit www.frontrowlive.co.uk
In 2025, Worsbrough Mill is celebrating 400 illustrious years of milling using waterpower from the River Dove. This 240-acre country park and reservoir is a slice of paradise for nature lovers, with birdwatchers, anglers, and over 250,000 dog-walkers and fresh air enthusiasts flocking here every year to soak up the stunning views.
However, unless our millers are at work, the machinery sits silent, and the stories of the Mill remain untold. A rare survivor, of national significance, and of immense potential for our communities, so we need to act now to realise that potential and ensure its survival.
We are calling on the generosity of people from Barnsley and beyond to help raise the £40,000 needed to repair the shaft and preserve Worsbrough Mill for future generations.
If each of the 250,000 visitors to the mill contributed just 40p – less than the cost of a bag of crisps – we’d easily hit our target. Alternatively, just £5 from 8,000 people (that’s 5% of the Barnsley population) would do the same.
Every little bit helps! Whether you donate a small amount or something larger, your contribution will help save this precious piece of history giving it the best birthday gift whilst preserving it for the community and generations to come!
Why not create your own fundraising page and download our fundraising pack
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
