A FOUNDATION stone from a former Chippenham flour mill has been donated to the town’s Museum and Heritage Centre by Gough’s Solicitors.

The museum and heritage centre has a working scale model of the mill in the museum and the foundation stone will be exhibited alongside it.

Melissa Barnett, curator of the Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre said: “The museum has a working scale model of this mill in the museum and thanks to Goughs the original mill stone can now be exhibited alongside it as part of a permanent display explaining such an important part of Chippenham’s history”.

The Domesday survey of Chippenham records 12 mills along the River Avon, many of which were likely to have been involved in grinding corn. A mill is believed to have stood on a site near Chippenham Town Bridge for centuries.

After a fire in 1816, the four-storey flour mill was rebuilt of limestone and brick and remained standing until its demolition in 1957 when it was replaced by a row of shops.

The foundation stone, from the final mill to be erected on the site, bearing the date 1817, has been kept at Mill House, 1 New Road since before Second World War.

This property was once the home of the Collen family who operated the flour mill from 1837-1948 and is now home to Goughs Solicitors.

Emma Taylor, partner in charge of Goughs’ Chippenham office said: “When we were contacted by Melissa, we were more than happy to donate the foundation stone. The stone is an integral part of Chippenham’s heritage and should rightly be displayed within the museum.”