AN 18th century mill which featured in a major television series will soon be open for business following a £1m restoration project.

Gayle Mill, near Hawes, North Yorkshire won through to the final three in BBC 2's Restoration series last year.

It was pipped at the post for a £2.5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, but has now been almost fully restored.

The building's owner, the North of England Civic Trust, is now within a few weeks of completing the work and handing the mill over to the Gayle Mill Trust.

They will run it as a not for profit training, production and visitor centre focusing on timber and renewable energy.

Martin Glynn, a director of the Gayle Mill Trust, said: "We are delighted that Gayle Mill is nearing completion and can't wait to take it on.

"It is about seven years since most of us got involved and we are at the stage now where we just want to get in there.

"The North of England Civic Trust have done a fabulous job in securing the necessary funding and we are proud that Gayle Mill is one of the first - if not the first - buildings featured on BBC Restoration to be restored."

The Grade II listed building was built in the 1780s as a cotton mill, but was converted to a saw mill in the late 19th century.

It contains the original Victorian machinery and what is believed to be the oldest water turbine of its kind in Europe.

It will soon be supplemented by a new turbine that will generate electricity and export it to the National Grid.

New machinery, including a mobile saw mill, will also be purchased to enable the trust to produce a new range of products, including gates and benches, and offer new services from the mill.

The project has cost almost £1m which was raised through grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and Yorkshire Forward.

Members of the Gayle Mill Trust are now looking for a general manager to oversee the development and running of the mill.