The historic Eskdale Mill in the village of Boot is ready to open its doors once again to visitors for the first time since March.

Mill manager Kate Hughes and a group of volunteers have been working to prepare the village mill for a safe re-opening.

Ongoing funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has meant the Eskdale Mill & Heritage Trust has been able to put measures in place for a first phase of re-opening.

These include moving the reception, adapting interactive exhibitions, introducing a one-way system, and implementing a new online booking system.

There will also be regular cleaning and disinfecting.

As a result, the mill has received “Good to Go” recognition from Visit England.

At first, open days will be limited to Wednesdays and Sundays until further notice.

The second phase of re-opening will begin in the coming months, working towards a six-days-a-week routine.

This has also been possible thanks to a lottery grant.

The mill and surrounding buildings are Grade 2 listed, so the adaptations have had to be sensitively carried out to ensure that the fabric of the buildings were not altered. A spokesman said: "This has created a challenge for the team but has meant that the changes are in keeping with the quirky environment of this 16th century building."

The trust has also just pledged to the ‘Kids in Museums’ manifesto making them a family-friendly visitor centre promising quality time and fun activities for all to do.

The exhibition features working milling machinery driven by restored water wheels, interactive displays, an inspiring hydro-electric wheel and woodland grounds with cascades and picnic areas.

Kate said: “Finally, after all these months, we’re really excited to announce that we can re-open again.

"We’ve kept our waterwheels and machinery turning, kept our grounds maintained during the closure.”and after lots of hard work, we’re ready to welcome our lovely visitors and supporters back to one of Copeland’s historical gems.

"I’m so looking forward to seeing everyone back here again and helping people discover what a great place Eskdale Mill is to spend time in.”

As part of its Covid safety measures, the mill will now have staggered entry through the new online booking system. This can be found at eskdalemill.co.uk/visit