The oldest surviving working water mill in Suffolk will be welcoming more families and young people when it reopens its doors this month.

Pakenham Water Mill, which dates back almost 1,000 years, reopens on Saturday, May 22.

Volunteers have been working hard on a number of improvements which have been backed with funding from a quartet of West Suffolk councillors.

West Suffolk councillors Simon Brown, John Griffiths, Andrew Smith and Jim Thorndyke are backing a series of improvements with a total amount of £3,813 from their locality budgets.

The Mill is owned by the Suffolk Building Preservation Trust, a registered charity run by volunteers and it was voted in the top three best landmark sites in Britain by readers of the BBC Countryfile magazine in 2019.

Sarah Williams, fundraiser for the Water Mill said: “We are delighted to receive this support from our local councillors. It will enable us to attract and engage with more families with younger children. The Water Mill provides a perfect venue for a family day out, with children and adults alike learning something new every time they visit.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Sarah Williams with her daughters Summer and Scarlett, West Suffolk councillors John Griffiths and Jim Thorndyke who were two of the councillors who helped fund the work, millers and members of the Suffolk Building Preservation Trust,.Sarah Williams with her daughters Summer and Scarlett, West Suffolk councillors John Griffiths and Jim Thorndyke who were two of the councillors who helped fund the work, millers and members of the Suffolk Building Preservation Trust,. (Image: West Suffolk Council)

Part of that has funded activities for children to complete in order to win a prize, the redecoration of part of the mill interior and a moveable ramp to help improve disabled access.