New curator appointed at Suffolk tourist attraction

A new curator has been appointed to help expand the appeal of an historic Suffolk landmark. 

Dr Amy Barnes will be joining the team at the Tide Mill in Woodbridge, which is a rare example of a mill with a water wheel that still turns and is capable of grinding flour. 

She received a PhD in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester in 2010 and has experience of working in curatorial roles and on exhibition and interpretation projects.  

She is currently a lecturer in Art History at The Open University. 

Under chairman John Carrington, the Grade I listed mill is expanding its appeal to museum goers through improved communication for both physical and online visitors as well as widening its accessibility to younger visitors. 

Mr Carrington said: “I’m delighted to welcome Amy to the team and excited about what she can contribute. Amy joins at a time when the mill has recognised that it must embrace as wide an audience as possible.  

“This means adding new displays and organising history, engineering and milling-related content to stay fresh.  

“We have more ways to communicate what we have and what we do these days; with video screens showing the machinery in action all the time, offering a visual experience of all three floors to those that can’t progress beyond the ground floor, milling demonstrations, group visits, local group presentations and offering sensory packs for youngsters.  

“We will continue to build our online content by posting these activities where practicable through our website and social media.” 

A mill has been operating at the site for 850 years and was operated by the local Augustinian priory in the Middle Ages before being acquired by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. 

The mill was one of only a handful still operating by the second world war and it was opened to the public in 1973.