A one-thousand-year-old water mill in southwest England
witnessed the plague in the seventeenth century and the 1918 influenza
pandemic. The first mill at the site predated the Norman invasion and was
mentioned in a book ordered by William the Conqueror and published in 1086.
The current mill was constructed in 1556, a few years before
Queen Elizabeth I took the throne. The United States would not declare their
independence from England for another two centuries.
The Sturminster Newton Mill was upgraded in 1904 and
operated fully until 1970, when it became museum. Now it normally produces
flour just two days a month during the summer months.
However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, this ancient water mill has now produced more than 2,200 pounds of flour in the last few weeks, the same amount it would usually produce in an entire year. The mill’s supervisor told CNN: “We realized that many local shops had no flour in them and people were desperate for it.” A team of volunteer millers is now delivering bags of flour to local shops and bakeries.
The supervisor hopes their work “will boost local shops” and said that “on the whole, everybody seems to be very happy with it.”
I have been privileged to travel to England many times over
the years. In fact, I might call myself an “Anglophile.” I love the
ancient traditions of this timeless country and greatly admire the perseverance
of her people in facing grave adversity. Their resolution in fighting Hitler is
just one example of their national fortitude.
But tradition and courage require adaptability and
innovation to remain relevant to the needs of the day. We can treasure our
history so much that we miss its significance for our current needs and future
hopes. Using an ancient water mill to provide flour during a pandemic is one
example of the creativity that makes the…
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