Village Pump Restoration
2006 saw our major project come to fruition, the restoration of the village pump located in The Square.
Over the year we had a number of working parties to dismantle the working parts, which were placed in storage. It was necessary either to find someone who could make replacement parts using the original material where possible, or to buy reproduction workings. It was at this point that local agricultural engineer Roy Hill came on the scene.  Roy and the group worked until they achieved their aim. A new casing was made for the workings and this culminated in the pump restoration ceremony, which took place at noon on Sunday 23rd July 2006.

An appeal for local chemists to test the water was answered by Chris Fell, Yorkshire Water project engineer. After laboratory analysis, results were pretty conclusive. Sadly, the pump water is contaminated with traces of bacteria and high levels of lead, and no longer safe to drink. 

Jigsaws
Late 2006 also saw the production of our village jigsaws, a 96 piece aimed at the younger element and a 704 piece for older children and adults. Both designs provide a snapshot of Hillam scenes through the seasons. See details.

Methodist Sunday School Register 1865-1913
This register was donated by the daughters of the late Charlie and Mary Denton. It is of substantial size, the book being 1 inch thick. After many, many hours of hard work by Neal Wilson, Vivienne Wilkinson, Valerie Richardson and daughter Elaine, we now have a copy for local consultation. The original  has been lodged with North Yorkshire County Record Office, Northallerton, for wider availability.

Hillam Parish Council Archive
With the approval of the Parish Council, filed documents have been examined and those which are of historic interest have been listed. After being displayed for villagers to see and share, they are now in the care of the County Record Office, where full cataloguing is being carried out.

The most important of these documents is the Inclosure Award book and map. This shows the allocation of land within the township of Hillam in the year 1811. It was effectively the land register of its day. The map is a fascinating archive, brimful of the names of all those who owned a piece of village land, whether small or large. To ensure that villagers, now and in the future, did not lose touch with this historic document, Hillam Historians arranged for the map to be scanned and stored and available to be reproduced. Hillam PC subsequently purchased a copy on behalf of the community. The Community Association kindly agreed to house it, and it was unveiled in May 2008 by Hillam PC Chair, Jean Collinson. Details of the Inclosure Award map are on the order form.

Projects 2009 onwards
Village Day (provisionally 20th June 2009): pump to be open for pumping, parade of historic farm vehicles followed by a crocodile of children in historical fancy dress from Hillam and subsequent vehicle display at Community Centre / Foundation Field

• Continuing interviews of long-term residents
• Continuing research into the village’s farming history
• Pump: replacement of concrete steps with steps of York stone
• With the aim of installing a roll of honour, the Rector has requested research into the names of St Wilfrid’s past churchwardens; similarly, supplementary information for a war memorial roll of honour is almost complete
  See details
• House names: continuing a resident’s research, the many unnumbered houses in the village are to be marked onto the Parish Council’s official map.