'Time will tell if I did the right thing' - Shropshire author took a sometimes rocky road to achieve his mill home dream

"The Road To Halford Mill" has been written by Tony Willetts, who hopes it will serve as an inspiration to others who also seek to pursue their dreams.

When Mr Willetts came on the scene the once-picturesque mill on the banks of the River Onny near Craven Arms had been derelict for many years, roofless, and on the verge of collapse. 

What followed was a foundations-up new-build, including repairing or recreating all the "waterworks" aspects to allow the mill wheel to turn once more, generating electricity for his home.

A builder, he began his project to create his new home in 1992 and at first commuted from Stourbridge daily. He gave himself 10 years to do it, but in the end it took five.

His re-creation landed him in hot water with planning officers, and at one stage it was touch and go whether he was going to be ordered to knock it down.

The new waterwheel to replace the wooden original was a salvaged flat-edged fly wheel which was used for driving machinery at Bescot drop forge in the West Midlands, with water buckets added which Mr Willetts made himself.

"I was born into relative impoverishment and the journal chronicles my efforts to achieve the level of contentment I enjoy today," he said.

 "Along the route there have been numerous obstacles to overcome, and I wrote the journal initially for guidance for my beloved grandchildren. 

"A learned friend of mine read it and insisted I publish it to act as inspiration for a wider audience. Time will tell if I did the right thing."

Mr Willetts' understanding is that the mill dated from 1860 and was last used in the 1920s.

The book is the story not only of the mill project, but is also autobiographical, telling of his tough beginnings.

Born at 21 Mill Street, Brierley Hill, in September 1945, he was brought up in basic conditions, sharing a bed in a freezing bedroom with his older brother, in the austere post-war years.

He writes of a Brierley Hill unrecognisable from today, which was home to Marsh & Baxter's, one of the biggest pork processing factories in the world. When he was five the family moved to 50 Bobs Coppice Walk on the newly-built Dunn's Bank council estate in Quarry Bank.

"The Road To Halford Mill" is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle form. It is dedicated by Mr Willetts to his family and friends, and "is further dedicated to those who sought to dash any hope I nurtured for self-improvement, for without such adversity to overcome I might not have developed the resolve to succeed."