Take a look inside one of the oldest woollen mills in the South West

Funding has been granted to help restore the building.

One of the oldest wool mills in the world will be restored in Devon after extra funding has been secured.

Coldharbour Mill in Uffculme will receive a grant of almost £500,000 to boost access to the arts and support the local economy.

The building itself is a working museum but there are parts of it that are closed to the public because of safety concerns.

The mill has been in continuous production since 1797. All the heritage machines including those which spin wool and weave cloth are up and running.

The fire escape has been condemned for more than 30 years for safety reasons.

Staff have now been granted £495,000 for a programme of vital maintenance and repairs which will allow more people to visit.

Peter Holdway-Bradley, from the Coldharbour Mill Trust, said: "This funding will be used to deal with backlogs of maintenance that needs to be done in order to progress and make sure the building is here for years to come and future generations."

One of the main areas the funding will be used for is a fire escape which has been condemned for more than 30 years, preventing public access to the top two floors of the building.

An old loom that was used to weave cloth.

Staff also plan to resurface the mill's yard so it will be more accessible for wheelchair-users. They also plan to replace the bridge next to the water wheel.

Speaking to ITV News about the current state of the bridge, Mr Holdway-Bradley said: "As you can see it's in a state of disrepair at the moment and we can't use it but it'll provide greater access around the site for everyone.

"The supports under the bridge will all be replaced in a similar style so it's in keeping with the rest of the heritage site."

Some of the money will go towards restoring the bridge at the mill.

The money is part of a £200 million government fund for art, culture and museums.

"It's one of the most substantial sums of money the mill has had since the charity existed", Mr Holdway-Bradley said.

"Especially with something like the fire escape which has been like that for years, suddenly to have a way to fix it was amazing."

The refurbishment work will be done in stages so the building can stay open throughout.

It's hoped the work will be completed by March 2024.