THE Wey and Arun Canal Trust will be inviting visitors to two historic buildings that are not normally open to the public during the 2011 Heritage Open Weekend in September.
On September 10th, the Trust will welcome visitors to the Gunpowder Store, Stonebridge Wharfside, Shalford, near Guildford, Surrey. This will be the first time that the Gunpowder Store, which is normally used by automotive design company Gordon Murray Design, has been opened to the public.
Transported to Portsmouth
The 19th century building, a timber structure raised up from the ground on stones for safety reasons, was used for storing gunpowder, manufactured at the nearby Chilworth mills, before it was loaded onto barges for transport to Portsmouth via the Wey & Arun Canal. There will be displays on the history of the Wey & Arun Canal. Doors will be open from 2pm to 5pm.
The second historic building to be opened to the public during the National Heritage Weekend is Brewhurst Mill, in Loxwood, West Sussex. This too will be open on Saturday 10th September 2011, from 11am to 4pm. Brewhurst Mill was formerly a flour mill, and the machinery for grinding the wheat to produce bags of flour can be clearly seen.
Originally the mill was powered by water from the adjacent river, but in later years a locally-designed oil engine, which has been restored by the mill owner, drove the mill. There will be displays, including an exhibition from the Sussex Mills Group, plus gift stall and teas.