The diary display is the culmination of work done by Linda Bankier, the borough archivist, and shows a year in the life of the corn mill manager John Black in 1863. It is further illustrated by images, pictures and information about George Ford, a miller in the 1840s, completing a picture of working life in a very different time.
The costume display was created by Paula Constantine of Wooler, who based her design on information relating to clothing that would have been worn by the widow of Nicholas Graham.
She was the recipient of the rents for the mill in 1306 – the first documentary evidence about the mill being on this site. Paula is also well-known locally for her work with Saxon and Viking re-enactment groups, helping to bring to life periods of our local history.
The museum area on the first floor also houses several new wildlife interpretation boards which are the result of a collaboration between the mill and Northumberland Wildlife Trust. The boards were made by Osprey's of Coldstream.
Pupils from the Duchess High School, in Alnwick, also recently visited the mill for a production of the Miller's Tale which they were reading for their English A-Levels.
Heatherslaw Mill, the site of which has had a corn mill for over 700 years, has just been accredited by the Museum Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council.
It is part of the work being carried out by Elspeth Gilliland and her colleagues at a number of the businesses and visitor attractions on Ford & Etal Estate, to ensure that visitors gets the best possible experience.
This has included the prestigious VAQAS accreditation that the estate was given last year, and with whom the attractions now work continually.