Roy Gregory Remembered By Special Plaque At Skidby Mill

A plaque to commemorate the life and work of Roy Gregory (1937- 2013) has been unveiled at Skidby Mill, by the chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Councillor Peter Turner.

Roy Gregory was largely responsible for the restoration of Skidby Mill to full working order, after the then local authority acquired the mill from the Thompson family in 1974.

Born in Manchester in 1937, Roy studied law and qualified as a solicitor in 1971, before starting work with Beverley Borough Council, where he worked from 1971-1993, eventually becoming Town Clerk and Chief
Admin Officer. Skidby Mill came under his remit and became one of his ruling passions.

As well as restoring the mill from semi-dereliction, he acquired many of the agricultural and rural artefacts which are still in the mill’s collection today.

He carried out detailed research into the history of windmills in the UK and other parts of Europe and Asia, and was chairman of SPAB (the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings, Windmills section) for three years.

Mr. Gregory also helped to secure Beverley’s twinning status with Lemgo in Germany, and in his spare time, he was also responsible for restoring Beswick water mill to full working order, producing organic flour for sale.

In 2013 Mr. Gregory died after living in Beverley for many years, but his legacy lives on at Skidby Mill.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said;

“I am very pleased that we have been able to commemorate Roy’s wonderful legacy in this way, and that we are able to mark his unique – and vital – contribution with this plaque, which will always remind visitors to the Mill of just how much we owe to him.”