Students create medieval mayhem at Mill!

Otterton Mill will host a medieval-themed event on Sunday 9th May, in collaboration with students of East Devon's Bicton College. The family event, entitled "Posies, Plague and Permaculture" promises medieval mess and mayhem and will be run as a Community Project by a team of Environmental students from the College, as part of their course.

The students approached Otterton Mill owners Caroline and Simon Spiller earlier this year to ask if the Mill would play host to the project in its outdoor nature reserve. "We were only too happy to support this event for the community, and continue our ongoing partnership with Bicton College". said Caroline. Previous collaborations have included a major exhibition of environmental art at the Mill, entitled HabitArt, featuring 3 artwork installations by Bicton art students, and a project for Horticulture students to redesign and stock all of the Mill's decorative planters".

The fun event takes place between 11am to 3pm and features a range of activities for all ages, including green woodworking, natural dyeing, posy making, nettle rope making, fancy dress and some fairly gruesome fake boil workshops. But, beware, anyone caught misbehaving will be locked in the stocks and pelted with wet sponges!

Bicton Principal David Henley comments "We're delighted to be working with a local business in this way. This is just the sort of thing that Bicton College and its students can do very well, making connections with local businesses and the local community to involve our students in a very enterprising way.

The Sunday event is part of a busy weekend of activities for Otterton Mill, as it also celebrates National Mills Weekend and the Real Bread Campaign, with traditional milling and artisan bread-making demonstrations on Saturday 8th, plus tastings of speciality breads in its Devon Food Shop throughout the weekend. All events during the weekend are free of charge.

Date added: Sunday 2nd May 2010
Latest updated: Sunday 29th April 2012