Millwright kit is returned after 70-year absence

The so-called "timber Jill" had been at a museum in Surrey since 1988

A piece of millwrighting history has been returned to a windmill after a 70-year absence.

It was taken to Wicken Windmill, near Soham in Cambridgeshire, where it would be available for the public to view in March.

The heavy-duty carriage, affectionately known as a "timber Jill", dates back to the late 19th century and its two wheels are horse-drawn.

Kelvin Law, a millwright, said the equipment had been in Surrey and he never expected it would come "home".

The Wicken Windmill Partnership took ownership of the kit in late December after securing its return on 11 February.

It was constructed by the millwrights Hunt Brothers of Soham and spent its working life moving unprocessed timber and heavier mill components.

However, the equipment was lost from the site until 1988, when it was traced to the Rural Life Living Museum in Tilford, Surrey.

The carriage was carefully dismantled before being loaded onto a timber crane

Mr Law was among those who commenced fundraising efforts to bring it back to Cambridgeshire.

"When I first contacted the museum I was only requesting a photograph and dimensions of the Jill," he said.

"I did not expect that we would be able to acquire her and bring her home to Cambridgeshire."

Jill's fragile wheels were removed and carefully loaded onto a specialist timber crane for its return trip.

Volunteers said they now planned to restore the kit and treat its timber.