Place Mill

Place Mill is open from Easter to the end of September 2012, Tuesday to Sunday plus Bank Holiday Mondays, 11am to 5.30pm. Admittance is FREE.

Place Mill is a carefully restored Anglo-Saxon watermill situated on Christchurch Quay in the attractive Priory Quarter, only a few minutes' walk from the town centre. The mill was mentioned in the Domesday Book and survived the dissolution of the monasteries of 1538 and continued to grind corn until 1908 when structural defects forced its closure. After 70 years as a boat shed, the Mill was purchased by the council and restored. The working machinery forms a fascinating backdrop to a small collection of milling artefacts and local history memorabilia.

Nowadays Place Mill is an Art Gallery featuring a permanent exhibition by Resident Artist Chérie Wheatcroft and Artists in Residence Robert Fielder and Ellen Schmidt, who specialise in traditional Japanese embroidery and also teach individuals and small groups.

Completely self-taught as a professional artist, Chérie excels in wildlife, landscapes, portraits and seascapes and is regularly commissioned on many different subjects, working in all media.

Chérie holds continual, successful exhibitions in Dorset and throughout the UK, and has been offered the opportunity to exhibit in New Zealand as both her international and UK aspirations continue to grow.