Sheave Tower, Blair (Cambridge)
If one drives through Blair you will come across the Sheave Tower. This unique and picturesque tower was built in 1876 to harness its horsepower for the adjacent Blair Mill. The site was earth bermed to direct water through a sluiceway in front of the tower and down an artificial channel or trough. Water drove a shaft and wheel that turned a cable stretching from the tower across the road to the mill. In 1876 this was a remarkable feat of engineering. Since 1988 and until the completion of the restoration and dedication in the year 2000, the Foundation has supported in principle as well as helped fund feasibility studies of the restoration of this tower. At any given time artists may be found painting this magnificent tower. Heritage Cambridge, with the support of the Foundation subsequently restored the tower and a new footbridge was constructed. Stop by and take a look at the Sheave Tower in its tranquil setting and if you are creative take along your easel and paint brushes as so many others have done.
