Motorist driving down Philip Kgosana Drive in the direction of Tokai these past few weeks would have been hard-pressed to miss the impressive pace at which masonry repairs to the Mostert’s Mill tower was progressing.
The mill, located next to the M3 in Mowbray, was badly damaged in a wildfire on Sunday 18 April last year. Within a few days of the blaze, Friends of Mostert’s Mill (FoMM) had begun to rally behind the restoration of the heritage building, raising funds and overseeing the reconstruction process.
By September last year, Heritage Western Cape (HWC) had given permission to proceed with construction of the wooden machinery internals of the mill.
On Wednesday 9 March this year, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), the managers of the state-owned property, agreed that the full restoration of the mill could go ahead. One month later, Bruce Dundas Builders were on site, patching up the cracks on the outside of the structure and replastering the inside.
With the masonry work completed this month, John Hammer, chair of FoMM, says they are now ready to move on to the next step: the lowering and fitting of the wooden curb ring (a large wooden ring on which the cap slides; guiding wheels to keep it on track) onto the top of the tower.
Once this is done, the cap ring (which turns inside the curb ring), the cap frame (which supports the windshaft) and the long and short stretchers will be assembled.
“These are green-painted horizontal beams that are used to turn the cap and sails into the wind,” explains Hammer.
He says that once these four components are bolted together, a mobile crane will lift them onto the top of the mill.
“Another crane lift will drop the vertical shaft inside the mill, and more lifts will drop in the brake wheel and attach the long tail pole. After that, the cap will get its thatch cover. This will keep the inside of the mill dry and enable all the interior ‘furniture’ to be fitted,” he says.
Coordinated by Andy Selfe, the manufacturing of much of the wooden machinery has been done over the past months.
Hammer says, now for the first time since the fire, the team of local carpenters assigned to the task can start on the mill furniture – doors, windows, shutters, the two wooden floors and their support beams and access ladders.
“All these architectural features need broad, official heritage approval. The wooden machinery did too, but there is no-one in South Africa who knows what the original looked like other than the Friends of Mostert’s Mill, so we were left to get on with making those components by ourselves,” he says.
If everything goes to plan, FoMM aims to hold the opening ceremony on Saturday 22 April next year – the closest Saturday to the date that the windmill burnt down.
Hammer says to watch the site carefully.
“Within the next three weeks, the crane will be there to lift the machinery into the mill, after which the thatchers can replace the roof.”
- To follow the progress of the Mostert’s Mill restoration, visit mostertsmill.co.za
