WINDMILLS IN ENGLAND

England is rightly famous for its wide range of beautiful windmills some of which are nearly 400 years old. For centuries these extraordinary buildings were the mainstay of the farming industry and responsible for providing flour for the cities and countryside alike. Largely replaced by modern industrial mills those windmills that remain have become homes, film sets, the inspiration for modern weapons and even places of mystery. Some still produce flour and remind us of a time when life was lived closer to home and community was everything. Here is our collection of remarkable windmills in England for you to enjoy.

CLAYTON JACK AN JILL

Situated at the top of the South Downs and overlooking the town of Hassocks are two beautiful Windmills known as Jack and Jill. The most easily viewed is Jill which is adjacent to the lookout point and is a typical Sussex corn mill. It was originally built in 1821 near to Brighton but later moved to its present site in 1853. The Jack windmill was constructed during the 1860's as a replacement for the Ducton Mill and featured an advanced rotating cap around a central tower made of brick. As with many windmills across the country by 1908 they were no longer able to compete with the giant industrial factories and ceased operating. Since then both windmills have been used for a variety of purposes including holiday homes. Local legend claims that the design of the Jack windmill was the inspiration for the rotating gun turrets on the earliest battleships and still bears a striking resemblance to the GRP gun-houses used today. Jack is currently still privately owned while Jill is now owned by its own preservation society and the Mid Sussex County Council. It is open to the public most Sunday afternoons during the Summer months.

WHISSENDINE WINDMILL

Originally built in 1809 on the instructions of Robert Sherard, the 6th Earl of Harborough, the Whissendine Tower-mill  is believed to have  once been attached to the Stapleford Park Estate which is located 3.5 kilometres to the north.  Made from local ironstone, possibly from the boundary walls of the estate itself,  it has seven levels and, at a height of 60 ft, it is the tallest windmill in the county of Rutland and said to be the second tallest in Britain. In 1863 it was updated with cast iron gearing which replaced some of the original wooden mechanism.  Of particular interest is the rare Wegman's Roller Mill system which was installed around 1878 and is made of porcelain. It features four sails and four sets of mill stones. During world war II it was used as an observation post by the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) wardens and regularly as a bomb shelter.  It ceased functioning in 1922 due to gale damage but was purchased in 1995 by windmill enthusiast and local miller Mr. Nigel Moon who has dedicated nearly three decades to restoring it with the assistance of Bonwick MHC. It now produces organic flour which can be purchased from the site.

CHESTERTON WINDMILL

Considered to be one of the most important and famous landmarks of Warwickshire county, the Chesterton mill was originally built in 1632 making it the oldest stone windmill in Britain. The design is attributed to Inigo Jones, the famous British architect who was also responsible for the Palace of Whitehall although the practical implementation was more likely carried out by one of his students, Mr. John Stone.  The mill itself is situated on two levels which are supported by six stone arches.  The cap of the windmill could be rotated manually to ensure that the sails were facing into the wind.  It has been regularly upgraded over the years but most of the mechanism is still made from wood and was never replaced by iron.  Revisions were undertaken in 1776 and involved modifying the mill-shaft and in 1860 when adjustments were made to the frame of the cap.  It stopped general milling  in 1910 when it was no longer able to rotate the cap.  However it was still used as late as 1936 if the winds were coming from the right direction. Given its extraordinary duration of use  it enters the records as one of the longest working windmills.  Primary restorations took place during 1969 and additional work has been carried out over the decades.  It is occasionally opened for public viewing.

BELLOC'S WINDMILL

Known today as Belloc's Windmill it has had several other names since it was constructed in 1879 for Fred Marten a local miller. Originally known as Shipley Mill and King's Mill it was renamed as Vincent's Mill after it was sold to Richard Vincent in 1895 who, in turn, employed Ernest Powell to be the resident Miller. In 1906 the renowned author Hilaire Belloc purchased the mill and the surrounding land. With the aid of a nearby steam engine it remained working until the combination of better transport, cheaper processing alternatives and a surplus of imported grain made it fully redundant in 1926. Although it was no longer working, Belloc tried to ensure that it remained in good repair but this became harder to achieve as time passed. After his death in 1956 it became obvious that action needed to be taken if the Mill was to be saved for future generations. A group was formed and with the aid of the Wessex County Council and it was restored as a tribute to Hilaire Belloc and formally named after him. After many years of restoration the Windmill was classified as working in 1991.

BRILL WINDMILL ENGLAND

Local historians believe that windmills have stood in the Mildene and Millpiece fields to the west of the village of Brill, in Buckinghamshire, since around 1245 AD. The current windmill located on Brill common was probably built around 1685 and is one of the oldest in the country. Designed so that the entire superstructure can rotate to face the wind it is known as a post-mill or more accurately as a Pitsone windmill. It's considered a significant landmark and has been restored several times. The most recent repairs were required in 2009 after high winds tore off one of the sails. When it was last in use it had two pairs of stones in operation - French Burr Stones for wheat and "Derbyshires" for barley. The last miller to use the windmill was Mr. A. Nixley. It ceased operation in 1923 unable to compete with the new mechanised mills that were spreading across the country. To ensure its survival it has had to be reinforced with internal steel supports.