History Of Etruria Industrial Museum
In June 1978 interested parties were called to a meeting at Jesse Shirley’s Bone and Flint Mill, Staffordshire, to discuss the possibility of setting up a group of volunteers to restore the mill. As there was sufficient interest; the first working party was held in October, 1978. The mill is a unique example of a potter’s grinding mill powered by “Princess” a beam engine dating from the 1820s. Restoration work included not only the machinery but also the fabric of the building and the installation of a Cornish boiler built in 1903. Volunteers provided project planning, labour and expertise working every Thursday evening and occasional weekends. Progress was made so that the mill (now called The Etruria Industrial Museum) was officially opened by Fred Dibnah in 1991. The volunteers now maintain and operate the mill with a regular programme of weekend steamings, plus events for schools and special interest groups, as well as developing the rest of the site.
The success of a project such as this depends not so much on the number of hands available but on the long term commitment of the people who are prepared to give up their time to attend regularly and provide continuity. This project must be unusual in that it has a number of volunteers who have served for over 30 years. Their knowledge and engineering expertise has helped to solve many difficult problems. They are most welcoming to new volunteers and also enjoy sharing their experience with visitors at steaming events.
