Breachwood Green Mill, King's Walden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King's Walden Windmill |
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The converted mill
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Breachwood Green Mill |
| Mill location | TL 146 232 |
| Coordinates | 51°53′44″N 0°20′01″W / 51.89556°N 0.33361°W |
| Operator(s) | Private |
| Year built | c1859 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Five storeys |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Winding | Fantail |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs |
Breachwood Green Mill is a cool old building in King's Walden, Hertfordshire, England. It used to be a working windmill, but now it's a home! This special building is a Grade II listed tower mill. This means it's protected because of its important history and unique design.
The Mill's Story: A Look Back
Windmills have been around in King's Walden for a very long time. Records show a windmill here as early as 1329! Another mill was mentioned in 1762.
The mill we know today, Breachwood Green Mill, first appeared in records around 1861. A man named William Dellow was the miller then. He was the person who operated the mill and ground the corn. His son, also named William, was born in King's Walden in 1859.
William Dellow's son took over the mill from his father. He continued to work there until about 1900. After that, the mill stopped working. By 1930, it had lost its big sails. By 1936, even the top part, called the cap, was just an empty frame.
In 1998, the old mill got a new life! It was changed into a house where people could live. Recently, the brick tower of the mill was covered with wooden boards. This makes it look a bit like a different type of windmill called a smock mill.
How the Mill Worked: Its Design
Breachwood Green Mill is a tower mill. This means it has a tall, round stone or brick tower. This mill has five floors inside.
The base of the tower is about 24 feet (7.3 meters) wide. Its brick walls are about 2 feet (60 centimeters) thick. The tower stands about 42 feet (12.8 meters) tall up to where the cap used to sit.
The top of the mill had a dome-shaped cap. This cap could turn to face the wind. A special part called a fantail helped turn the cap automatically. The mill also had four large Patent sails. These sails were designed to adjust themselves to catch the wind better.
Inside, a big cast iron gear called the great spur wheel helped power the mill. This mill had two pairs of millstones. These heavy stones would grind corn into flour.
Who Ran the Mill?
Here are some of the people who worked as millers at Breachwood Green Mill:
- William Dellow: He was the miller starting around 1859.
- William Dellow Jr.: William Dellow's son took over and worked until about 1900.
