DistantNews
🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Cider mill makes sweet comeback after 100 years

From ABC Australia · (1h ago) English Positive tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A 19th-century cider mill, originally built by the Albert Day Foundry in 1868, has been meticulously restored by carpenter Ned Bott.
  • The mill, located in Braidwood, Australia, recently completed its first apple crush in over 100 years during a demonstration at the Braidwood Museum and Heritage Centre.
  • Plans are underway to use the functional mill regularly for cider production, aiming to recreate historical cider recipes using apples from the original property.

In a delightful turn of events for heritage enthusiasts and cider lovers alike, a piece of Braidwood's history has been brought back to life. Carpenter Ned Bott has undertaken the remarkable task of refurbishing a cider mill constructed in 1868 by the Albert Day Foundry, a project that has spanned over a year and a half.

We spent hours trying to find images of a similar type of mill, but to no avail. So I had to work off what was there and recreate what I believed to be in existence at the time.

— Ned BottDescribing the challenges of restoring the 19th-century cider mill due to a lack of historical documentation.

The restoration process was a significant challenge, with Bott having to meticulously recreate many of the mill's components, including timber parts, the hopper, steel-toothed rollers, and the roller box, due to the lack of readily available instructions or images of similar machinery. His dedication to historical accuracy is evident in his painstaking efforts to rebuild what he believed to be the original structure.

In the last couple of weeks, we managed to get hold of someone who posted some photos of the same mill on a farm in Hestercombe [UK]. We got to find out a few more intricate parts we were missing, so there's a little bit more work to do on this.

— Ned BottExplaining a recent breakthrough in the restoration process after finding historical photos of a similar mill.

Recently, the restored mill celebrated a momentous occasion: its first apple crush in more than a century. This demonstration, held at the Braidwood Museum and Heritage Centre, not only showcased the mill's functionality but also generated excitement for its future use. Braidwood cider maker Gary Sully, who has been instrumental in this revival, plans to use the mill to produce cider from apples grafted from trees on the original property, aiming to replicate the historic Wilton Cider Factory's output.

I've reproduced this to be functional, and not just a museum piece.

— Ned BottStating his intention for the restored cider mill to be a working piece of machinery.

This restoration is more than just a mechanical feat; it's a connection to the past. The Ingenio mill, a type of press that revolutionized cider-making in the 17th century by separating pips and stalks, represents a significant technological advancement for its time. Its revival ensures that this piece of agricultural heritage will not only be preserved but also actively contribute to the local community's traditions and economy.

My dream is to get enough apples off the trees we've grafted and create the same cider they made in that day, using the same equipment.

— Gary SullyExpressing his goal to recreate historical cider using the restored mill and original apple varieties.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog