2018-02-20 Tue

Bere Mill in Whitchurch, Hampshire was known in the 17h century for producing paper for some of the first British Banknotes. It was the original paper mill for a company named Portals that first supplied notes to the Bank of England in 1718. The Bank of England started issuing banknotes since 1694. This mill was destroyed when a fire broke out on Wednesday night. The historical Saxon building, which was destroyed completely, used to supply paper to the Bank of England. Several fire-fighters were deployed at the spot to put down the fire.

The ground floor, first floor, and roof were badly damaged. The fire was put down completely on Thursday morning. The cause of Fire is unknown and nobody was injured during the disaster.

Bere Mill is now a family home. It has gardens which are open to the public after 10 pm as per the National Garden Scheme. The site has fascinating industrial and agricultural archaeological remains, like a reconstructed water meadow.

Image courtesy Hampshire Fire Service Twitter Acc