THE HERITAGE CENTRE which was established at Baldock’s Mill in South Street over thirty years ago is being extended. For some years now, the Civic Society which runs the project has been hampered through lack of space as their archives and exhibits expand with every room and cupboard filled to overflowing but members have managed to cope although with some difficulty.

The society has now been given the adjoining two-storey southern section of the mill building (pictured above) which has until now been leased to a neighbour who has been using it as a garage but the owners, Bourne United Charities, have agreed to hand it over to the Civic Society and plans are being drawn up to turn it into a new exhibition area.

Baldock's Mill was one of the three water mills mentioned in the Domesday Book that survived into the 20th century and still stands today at No. 21 South Street. It was built on the banks of the Bourne Eau in 1800 and operated until the early 20th century, taking its name from Frank Baldock who was the last miller to live there, but stopped working around 1924 when the water wheel collapsed. The owner, the Marquess of Exeter, called in experts to inspect the damage but decided not to repair it because of the high costs involved. The wheel and machinery were removed but the mill race that turned the wheel can still be seen within the building, now scheduled Grade II as being of architectural and historic interest.

In 1981, Bourne Civic Society sought permission to turn it into a Heritage Centre and Bourne United Charities agreed to lease them the building for a peppercorn rent in order that it could be preserved for community use. Months of hard work turned it into the museum and meeting place we see today that has become one of the main attractions for the town and a regular call for visitors wishing to know more about our history. The lease was renewed in 2002 for a further 21 years and the full potential of the building in this new role is now being realised.

Major displays are already housed there including a memorial room devoted to the life and times of Raymond Mays (1899-1980), the international racing car driver and designer, and a gallery displaying the talents of Charles Worth (1925-95), the solicitor’s son who found fashion fame at his salon in Paris. There are many other interesting exhibits that reflect Bourne in past centuries and the people who lived here.

The additional section of the building appears to have been used by the last miller, Frank Baldock, for his carpentry and timber business which he also ran from the premises. A gas engine which was used for alternative power was housed next door and the aperture for the drive to keep his saw bench in operation can clearly be seen in the passageway from South Street between the two parts of the building although now bricked up. Structural alterations will be necessary to bring this section back into the main building and a new internal staircase built to allow access to the ground floor but surveys are already in hand and the work is not expected to present any major problems.

Mrs Brenda Jones, chairman of the Civic Society, said that the additional space would be most beneficial for the running of the Heritage Centre. “We have been cramped for many years”, she said, “and the new section will add to the appeal of our exhibition areas. There has been no shortage of ideas but it will most likely be used to extend the displays relating to Raymond Mays and the BRM.”

WRITTEN JUNE 2014