Cromer Windmill, Ardeley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ardeley Windmill |
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The mill in 2006
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Cromer Mill |
| Mill location | TL 304 286 |
| Coordinates | 51°56′27.84″N 0°06′13.22″W / 51.9410667°N 0.1036722°W |
| Operator(s) | Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust www.hertfordshirebpt.org |
| Year built | 1681 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Post mill |
| Roundhouse storeys | Single storey roundhouse |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Ladder mounted fantail |
| Fantail blades | Eight blades |
| Auxiliary power | Steam engine, later replaced by an Oil engine |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs, a third pair driven by engine |
| Size of millstones | One pair is 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 m) diameter |
| Other information | Only surviving post mill in Hertfordshire |
Cromer Windmill is a very old and special windmill located in Cromer, Hertfordshire, England. It is a type of mill called a post mill, which means its whole body can turn to face the wind. This amazing building was carefully restored between 1967 and 1998. It is now a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic site.
Contents
History of Cromer Windmill
Early Days of the Mill
The first windmill in the area of Ardeley was built a very long time ago, between 1192 and 1222. We know this because it was first written about in 1222. Later, in 1374, a windmill here was described as "in ruins." Another mill was mentioned in 1576 when it was sold to William Crane. His family likely owned it for about 200 years.
The current mill was built around 1681. We know this because scientists looked at the tree rings in the main wooden post. They found that the tree was cut down in the spring of 1679. Another piece of wood has a date that looks like 1681.
Millers and Changes Over Time
Many different people worked at Cromer Windmill over the centuries. Matthew Crane was the miller in 1719. Later, in 1773, John Pearman inherited the mill from his uncle, John Crane. The mill was sold a few times after that.
In 1822, William Munt took over. After he passed away in 1837, his wife Edith continued to run the mill. Their son David then took charge in 1856.
A Big Storm and Rebuilding
One morning in the 1860s, a local person found the mill completely broken. It was "lying a shattered mass of timber across the road." This was probably caused by a strong westerly wind. Even though there are no official records of this event, the wood in the mill shows repairs from around 1840-1885.
In 1869, David Munt sold the broken mill for £600 to William Boorman. He was a blacksmith in Cromer village. William didn't just rebuild the mill; he made it much more modern. He added new types of sails called "single-shuttered patent sails." He also added a lot of iron parts to the machinery and a fantail to help the mill turn into the wind.
Modern Power and New Sails
After William Boorman passed away, his wife Emily ran the mill. Then their son Ebenezer took over in 1888. By this time, a steam engine was used to help power the mill. It even drove extra millstones in a nearby building.
Later, the mill got new "double-shuttered sails." In 1914, local carpenters replaced these with a unique type of sail that the mill still has today. A very long wooden part for the mill, called a "stock," was brought all the way from Sweden. It was so long that it accidentally went through a cottage window on its journey!
By 1919, the steam engine was replaced by an oil engine. This engine powered another set of millstones outside the mill. The mill continued to work until 1930, but by then, parts like the fantail and some sails had blown off. By 1932, the mill was no longer working and became very run down.
Saving the Windmill
In 1938, a group of people, led by Captain Berry, were worried about losing this important piece of history. They re-boarded and painted the main part of the mill, called the "buck." Without their help, there might not be a windmill in Hertfordshire today.
During World War II, the local Home Guard used the mill as a lookout point. They even cut a hole in the roof to watch for enemy planes!
By 1964, the mill was in danger of being torn down. But in 1966, the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust started raising money. They collected £4000 for the first stage of restoration, which happened between 1967 and 1969. The mill was given to the Trust in 1967. They decided to restore it to how it looked when it was last working.
Many skilled workers helped fix the mill. They rebuilt the roofs, re-boarded the buck, and made new sails and a new tail ladder. More big repairs happened in 1979-80. This included work to stop Death Watch beetles from damaging the wood.
In 1989, more money became available for the next stage of restoration. There was even an idea to use a helicopter to move the mill to a new location! In 1990, new parts were made and fitted, including a new weather beam and brake wheel. On May 8, 1991, the mill opened to the public for the first time!
The final stage of restoration happened in 1998. This work made the mill almost fully working again. It was paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage. The mill was officially reopened on June 21, 1998.
What Cromer Windmill Looks Like
Cromer Windmill is a post mill with a single-storey roundhouse. The roundhouse is the circular building at the bottom. Inside, it protects the main wooden frame, called the trestle, which is made entirely of strong oak wood.
The main post of the mill is about 18 feet 9 inches (5.7 meters) long. The whole mill stands about 38 feet 6 inches (11.7 meters) tall.
How the Mill Works
The mill turns to face the wind using a fantail that is attached to the ladder. It has four special Patent sails. These sails are unique because their shutters go across the full width of both sides of the sails. Each sail is about 26 feet (7.9 meters) long and 7 feet (2.1 meters) wide. When they spin, they cover a huge area of 56 feet (17 meters)!
The sails are connected to a strong cast-iron windshaft. This windshaft turns a large wooden brake wheel with 72 teeth. The brake wheel then turns a smaller gear called a wallower with 18 teeth. This wallower is at the top of a cast-iron upright shaft.
At the bottom, a large cast-iron great spur wheel with 64 wooden teeth turns two pairs of underdrift millstones. These millstones are located in the front part of the mill. They grind the grain into flour.
The mill has different types of millstones:
- One large stone is made of French Burr and is 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters) wide.
- Another stone is 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 meters) wide, also French Burr.
- There's also a new Derbyshire Peak Runner stone, 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters) wide.
- And another Derbyshire Peak Runner stone, 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 meters) wide, which was once broken and repaired.
Millers
Here are some of the people who worked as millers at Cromer Windmill:
- Matthew Crane (1719-1774)
- William Munt (1800-1837)
- Edith Munt (1837-1856)
- David Munt (1856-1869)
- William Alfred Boorman (1870-1875)
- Emily Boorman (1875-1888)
- Ebenezer Boorman (1888-1898)
- Joseph Ponder Scowen (1898-1920)
- Marian Scowen (1920-1922)
- Richard Michael Hull (1922-1930)
Visiting Cromer Windmill
Cromer Windmill is open to visitors! You can visit on Sundays, Bank Holiday Mondays, and the second and fourth Saturdays from mid-May until mid-September. The mill is open from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. If you have a group, you can also arrange a visit at other times by making an appointment.
