Refurbishment at Holme Mills, Bedfordshire
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Standing on the banks of the River Iver, Holme Mills was first mentioned in the Domesday Book and was one of Bedfordshire’s major producers of animal feed and flour. In the 19th century the Mills suffered two catastrophic fires, presenting the owners, the Jordan family, with the chance to completely rethink their traditional working methods replacing the original millstones with a more efficient metal roller system and the waterwheel with a water turbine in the new four-storey premises.
From the early 1970’s the Mills produced the famous Jordans breakfast bars and cereals but recently a new mill was built nearby thus allowing the original Holme Mills to be refurbished and restored and a new Visitor Centre constructed to provide a riverside café, meeting rooms and a Mill Store.
As part of this refurbishment the original metal framed windows needed to be fully overhauled and made thermally efficient, in order to provide a more comfortable environment. As it was not possible to replace the windows the solution to this problem was secondary glazing. The secondary glazing had to respect the original window design and so a slim hinged casement with flush colour matched hinges and flush lock was specified.
Selectaglaze was chosen to carry out this work using their slim line Series 45 system, one of four hinged systems in the company’s range. Each window is bespoke and fitted with close tolerance to exclude draughts and reduce heat loss in the region of 50%.
Visitors to the building can now view the magnificent machinery and get a good understanding of the workings of the Mill in a very comfortable environment.
Founded in 1966, Royal Warrant Holder Selectaglaze works with a very wide range of clients and has developed particular expertise in the treatment of Listed and period buildings.
The company provides an extensive range of literature and guidance notes covering acoustics, thermal performance and security and also offers a technical advisory service and a RIBA approved CPD Seminar for professional designers.
For further information, please contact the Marketing Department on 01727 837271; e-mail: enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk or visit the company’s comprehensive website at: www.selectaglaze.co.uk
Since opening, the venue has become a major local attraction for all ages, particularly school parties. To further enhance the educational experience, the grounds are currently being planted with trees and crops representing many of the natural ingredients used within the company’s products. Additional facilities have been constructed alongside the Mill incorporating a café, shop and variety of meeting and function rooms with the intention of making this location a party and wedding venue.
