Any collector and restorer of Stationary Engines is always on the look-out for unusual pieces of equipment to drive with his engines, so making them more interesting to the general public. It cannot be often that the occasion arises to drive a whole mill house! I have had this fortunate opportunity recently on the farm Compagnes Drift in Bot River, which dates back to 1750 and was an outpost of the Honourable Dutch East India Company (VOC). The farm, home to the Beaumont family, is situated about 100 km due East of Cape Town, and luckily only 23 km from Elgin where I live.

The farm gate post.

Keith Wetmore eventually managed to track down the cold-climate pine planks we’d been promised. Commercially, these used planks sell for R28 per metre.Some horse-trading was involved here!

Out of these planks, I must make the trunking for the main elevator, the delivery chutes from the top of the main elevator to the mills and grain cleaner, and replace some floorboards. I have a feeling I will still run out!