Information about Crabble Corn Mill Trust Introduction List of Trustees (for 2002-3) Charity and Company registration Latest available Trading Accounts (for 2001, 2000,1999, 98, 97, and 96) Back to Crabble Corn Mill HOME page

Introduction Saving the Mill The Mill is the finest surviving example in Europe of an early 19th century merchant watermill. Its significance is officially recognised - it is a Listed Building of "National Importance" (grade II*). The Mill used to be managed by Dover District Council. When major repairs became necessary in the mid-1980's, the then ruling Conservative group on the council regrettably decided it would not pay for them. The Mill stood for years in a state of near collapse, supported by scaffolding. Having failed to interest the National Trust in taking over the Mill, the council decided to apply for permission to demolish it. Forming the Trust in 1987 This was the background to the formation of the Crabble Corn Mill Trust - a group set up by local people to save the Mill. The Trust is an independent charity whose sole responsibility is to own the historic watermill and preserve it for posterity. The Trust is registered with and supervised by the Charity Commissioners. Under the terms of the Trust Deed, the Mill was to be restored and run as a working museum about mills and 19th century waterpower, for the benefit and education of the community. As owners of the Mill, the Trustees cannot sell or dispose of the property, and can only transfer their assets to another charity with similar aims. All the Trust's income is ploughed back into the Mill. The Trustees and all the helpers at the Mill are all unpaid volunteers. The Trust receives no regular grant income from councils or government towards the upkeep, maintenance and running of the Mill - which relies entirely on support from the public as visitors, donations, many generous gifts in kind, and the unstinting help of volunteers. Major restoration 1988-90 In 1989-90 the Trust received one-off grants towards the cost of restoring the Mill from Kent County Council, Dover District Council and English Heritage. These grants paid part of the cost of the building work, which was completed by 1990. The Trust raised much of the rest of the money from donations and fundraising, but it was necessary to take out loans to cover some debts - which have now been cleared or kindly written off. As you can see from the Trading Accounts below, the Trust now happily brings in enough money to cover its running costs year-by-year. Major repair work will inevitably be needed at some time in the future, so the Trust welcomes any help (whether donations, legacies, gifts in kind or sponsorship) which will help to assure the long term survival of the historic Mill. Acquiring the millworkers' cottages and yard in 1995 In 1995 the Trust acquired the adjoining yard, millworkers' cottages and gardens - re-uniting the major part of the Mill site under one ownership. The purchase for £105,000 was partly covered by an £85,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The cottages were in a poor state, and it was intended to embark on a major rebuild/ refurbishment before bringing them into public use (see below). The balance of the purchase price was raised by generous help from the Mill's partnership funders: Dover District Council helped with a package of support in kind, including help with tourist promotion and rate relief; the Mannering family who once ran the milling business; Invicta Media Productions Ltd (who rescued the purchase at the 11th hour by agreeing to pay a lump sum as rent in advance until 2004 for a lease on two bedrooms in one of the cottages for use as offices)*. Invicta Media also helped the Mill with educational advice - including this website and all the interpretation and guide leaflets in the Mill; also support for marketing and office services, especially before the Mill had a New Deal scheme - when Invicta Media were the only day-to-day presence on the Mill site. *The Heritage Lottery Fund stipulated no public announcement until the cottages were completely refurnished to the high conservation standard required and opened to the public, so this fact is not generally known. Since acquisition, the intended refurbishment of the cottages has unfortunately not yet been possible. The spaces has been used temporarily as a Mill Office, kitchen/meeting rooms and stores, by many Mill helpers, including the Head Miller and successive graduate work experience placements on the ADAPT scheme; and more recently by the New Deal trainees. Return to top of page

Development of the Mill as a viable tourist attraction - the 2nd lottery bid In 1995, the trust undertook (as a condition of the first Heritage Lottery grant) to prepare plans for a second bid to enable a complete repair of the cottages, to make it watertight, and reduce ongoing maintenance and energy costs. Initially this was expected to be within 12 months, but the search for the necessary partnership funding has taken much longer than expected. Imaginative plans prepared in 1997-8 and refined during 1999-2001 will introduce new uses to give the public access to the major part of the cottages and yard. The plans will come to fruition in the near future if a further Lottery bid to help finance them is successful. The new uses include: a Visitors Bakery - in which visitors will be able to make and bake their own bread from the Mill's flour; an audio-visual theatre - to see videos about the Mill and its history, and the local environment; a River Dour Interpretation Centre -to introduce visitors to the river and its valley, an internationally rare chalk stream habitat, with pond-dipping platform. The local water company, Folkestone & Dover Water Services Ltd, have offered a grant towards part of the costs of the scheme, providing the key partnership funding that hopefully will enable it to go ahead, and working with a small task force to present the bid, . As with other successful local schemes (like Dover Transport Museum), the presentation of the bid depends on the Mill helpers working with the Trustees and securing the support of local councils to convince the Heritage Lottery Board that they have a viable Business Plan to make the Mill self-supporting in future. The recent "Millennium Facelift" project has been a useful "dry-run" on a smaller scale to help prepare for the second Lottery bid. This point has been reached thanks to enormous efforts by many individuals over 15 years. The historic working watermill, its cafe and art gallery now play a significant part in the life of the local community. The Mill's survival is a proud achievement for the people of a district - particularly at a time when Dover is having to weather considerable economic upheaval, including the closure of the East Kent coalmines, and the effect of the Channel Tunnel on the local ferry industry. Return to top of page

List of Trustees and Officers (as at the AGM 21st June 2002) No AGM was held between that date and Friday 21st June 2002, when Ian Killbery explained why he was not standing for re-election as a Trustee. Mrs Caroline Wilkinson also resigned as a Trustee. An account of that AGM and a list of the current Trustees will be posted shortly. It is believed that the current trustees are those named in RED. i) originally due for re-election 2001 Mr Alan Davis (Chairman of the Trust) Mrs Eileen Rowbotham (Trust Secretary) Mrs Caroline Wilkinson (ii) originally due for re-election 2002 Mrs Anne Collins Mr. Ian Killbery Mr Tony Staveley (iii) originally due for re-election 2003 Mr Gwyn Prosser MP Co-opted as a trustee during 2001: Mr. Ken Wraight (representing the Dover Society) In the interests of securing long term continuity, and the representation of wider interests of the community in the future of the Mill, the Trust's AGM on 30 November 2000 agreed to invite the following organisations to nominate additional Trustees - subject to the Trust's Articles and following procedures agreed after discussion with the Charity Commission. Regrettably this process was disrupted by internal dissention in the Trust. Folkestone & Dover Water Co. - nominee subsequently withdrew. Dover Town Council (1) - nominee subsequently withdrew. The Dover Society (1) - Mr. Ken Wraight nominated River Parish Council (1) - asked for a meeting to question trustees. Dover District Council (2) - declined the invitation The AGM decided to review the organisation of the Management Committee to produce a better structure for involving trustees, other volunteer helpers, and Trust employee(s) in the day-to-day management of the Mill. Regrettably no action has been taken. Return to top of page

Charity and Company Registration Registered Charity number: 297098 Company registration number: 2141451 (England & Wales) Accountants: under negotiation Registered office: Crabble Corn Mill, Lower Rd, River Dover CT17 0UY. Return to top of page

Latest Available Trading Accounts TRADING AND PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2001
Ian Killbery forced to resign early in 2001--->				<----Ian Killbery as Secretary & Marketing Manager
Income: Trading income Donations received     Cost of sales: Purchases   GROSS PROFIT Other income: Deposit account interest     Expenditure: Wages, NIC & expenses Telephone Post & stationery Advertising Hire of equipment Repairs & renewals Protective Clothing Travelling Costs Sundry expenses Insurance Accountancy Legal / Professional fees Rates & water Light & heat Repairs to property Subscriptions Late Filing Penalties   Total Expenditure SURPLUS/ (DEFICIT) Finance costs: Bank charges     Depreciation: Fixed assets   NET (LOSS)/PROFIT	2002 n/k n/k ----------- 21,935   n/k ---------- n/k   n/k ---------- 21,935   n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k ---------- 22,557 (-622) LOSS n/k -------- (-622)   n/k ---------- (-622)	2001 26,122 1,479 ______ 27,601   3,361 ______ 24,240   50 ______ 24,2490   9,244 724 913 1,394 --- --- --- --- 225 1,528 400 --- ) ) 5,840 ) 5,849 --- 1,240 ______ 27,357 (-3,067) LOSS  162 _______ (3,229)   274 _______ (3,503)		2000 37,166 9,631 ______ 46,797   10,179 ______ 36,618   81 ______ 36,699   9,337 1,037 1,237 1,768 --- --- 346 1,161 1,037 610 400 2,374 ) ) 4,335 ) 9,637 --- --- ______ 33,299 3,400   --- _______ 3,400   274 _______ 3,126	1999 27,838 6,729 ______ 34,567   8,183 ______ 26,384   54 ______ 26,438   5,505 819 960 1,138 838 832 --- --- 734 620 385 --- 562 3,261 2,306 340 --- ______ 20,249 6,189   --- _______ 6,189   281 _______ 5,908	1998 17,922 6,093 _______ 24,015   8,041 _______ 15,974   133 _______ 16,107   1,463 749 539 1,324 584 1,191 --- --- 131 889 640 --- 975 2,542 5,297 383 --- _______ 17,203 (1,139)   43 _______ (1,096)   166 _______ (1,262)	1997 15,222 1,301 _______ 16,523   5,529 _______ 10,994   9 _______ 11,003   1,843 433 ) )2,295 ) 584 1,319 --- --- 414 --- 549 --- 870 2,621 --- 172 --- _______ 11,100 (97)   7 _______ (104)   147 _______ (251)	1996 18,864 595 _______ 19,459   8,414 _______ 11,045   17 _______ 11,062   (100) 618 ) ) 3,041 ) 428 1,171 --- --- 918 --- 423 428 817 2,966 90 120 --- _______ 10,920 142   (20) _______ 162   54 _______ 108
The accumulating losses in 2001 AND 2002,- and the slump in income since 1999 coupled with continued heavy expenditure - has put the future of the Mill in doubt, and risks throwing away the hard work of many volunteers and supporters over 20 years of campaigning and voluntary effort. It is regrettable that the achievements represented by the surpluses of 1999 and 2000 have been frittered away so quickly. Return to top of page

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Last updated 23rd July 2002