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Records as far back as the 12th Century indicate the presence of a corn mill and fulling mill (for processing wool) in Clapham. The first verifiable indication of a building or barn on the site of The Old Sawmill is shown on the 1851 Tithe Map for Clapham with Newby and on the first Ordnance Survey map of the same date. The size and alignment of the building on the map exactly matches the oldest section of the sawmill, and the 1896 Ordnance Survey map shows and extended building with an identical imprint to the current sawmill.
More recently, the downstairs of the building has provided storage for paraphernalia required on a rural estate, such as tools, machinery, fencing, piping and drainage equipment, whilst the upstairs was used as a joinery workshop.
As The Old Sawmill is a listed building, renovations have been undertaken extremely sensitively, with input from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority throughout the project. The conservation of the unique history and heritage of the building has been at the heart of the project, with former bench saws and a water turbine retained in their original positions for display. A number of artefacts were recovered from the building before renovations began, including a pick with RJF carved into it, which presumably belonged to the famous plant-collector and author, Reginald John Farrer. A selection of these are on display for visitors to observe.
The location, beneath Ingleborough mountain in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is part of what we think makes The Old Sawmill so special. The picture perfect village of Clapham is the perfect home for this beautiful building, and visitors can make a day of their trip by venturing up Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, heading on an underground adventure into Ingleborough Cave, and the more adventurous may choose to continue to the summit of Ingleborough, on the route described by Alfred Wainwright as “the finest of all, a classic”.
Discover beautiful lakeside woodland en-route to Ingleborough Cave & Ingleborough Mountain.
© 2024 The Old Sawmill Café. All Rights Reserved. Website Design by Alexander Marketing.