Bembridge Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bembridge Windmill |
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Bembridge Windmill
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Knowle Mill |
| Grid reference | SZ 6398 8747 |
| Coordinates | 50°41′00″N 1°05′45″W / 50.68341°N 1.09578°W |
| Operator(s) | National Trust |
| Year built | c1700 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Four storeys |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Common sails |
| Winding | Hand winded by chain and wheel |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs |
| Other information | The only remaining windmill on the Isle of Wight |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 16 April 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1034383 |
Knowle Mill, which most people now call Bembridge Windmill, is a super old and important building on the Isle of Wight, England. It's a special type of windmill known as a tower mill. This windmill is so important that it's a Grade I listed site. Today, it's carefully kept safe and open for people to visit! It's the only windmill still standing on the Isle of Wight.
The Story of Bembridge Windmill
Bembridge Mill was built a very long time ago, around the year 1700. Imagine how old that is! A famous artist named J. M. W. Turner even painted it in 1795.
The windmill worked using wind power until 1913. For a while, after 1897, it was only used to grind food for animals.
Over the years, the windmill needed some repairs. It was fixed up in 1935 and again in 1959. The money for the 1959 repairs came from lots of people who donated to help save it. In 1962, the National Trust took over looking after the windmill. They have done a great job restoring it, and now you can go inside and explore! New sails were put on the windmill in March 2021.
How Bembridge Windmill Works
Bembridge Mill is a four-storey tower mill. This means it's a tall, round building that gets narrower at the top. It has a special roof called a "boat-shaped cap" because it looks a bit like the bottom of a boat.
This cap can be turned by hand using a chain and wheel. This helps the windmill face the wind, so its sails can catch the breeze. The windmill has four "Common sails." These are the big arms that spin when the wind blows.
Inside, the windmill has two pairs of large grinding stones called millstones. These stones are driven "underdrift," which means the power comes from below them. They work together to grind things like corn into flour.
Visiting Bembridge Windmill
Bembridge Windmill is open for visitors for most of the year, from March to November. You can usually visit between 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM every day. It's a great place to learn about history and how windmills used to work! For more details about visiting, you can check the National Trust website.
