Blakeney Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blakeney Windmill |
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Blakeney Tower Windmill
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| Origin | |
| Mill location | Blakeney, North Norfolk, England |
| Coordinates | 52°57′15.80″N 1°1′30.93″E / 52.9543889°N 1.0252583°E |
| Year built | 1769 |
The Blakeney Tower Windmill is a historic building. It was built way back in 1769. You can find it on Friar Farm, just east of the village of Blakeney. This village is in the English county of Norfolk.
Today, the National Trust owns this old windmill. It stands in an area with static caravans. The windmill is very important because of its history. It is listed as a Grade II building. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected.
What Makes Blakeney Windmill Special?
This tower mill is quite tall, standing at 32 feet high. It has four main floors inside. When it was working, the mill used large sails to catch the wind. These sails helped to power two pairs of big grindstones. The grindstones would crush grain into flour.
The doors and windows of the windmill are very unique. They have cool arched shapes, like those seen in Gothic buildings. These special arches were likely added when the mill was rebuilt in the 1800s.
During that same time, new sails were put on the windmill. These were called "patent double-shuttered sails." They were more advanced and could be controlled using a special chain system. These new sails helped to power three pairs of grindstones.
Old photos show that the windmill's sails were different sizes. One pair had seven sections with three shutters each. The other pair had eight sections with three shutters.
The very top of the windmill had a round dome. It also had a decorative top piece called a finial. The dome was covered with horizontal wooden boards. Below the dome, there was a sixteen-sided "petticoat" and a viewing platform called a gallery. An eight-bladed fan was also part of the design.
