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 type of windmill called a post mill. It stands proudly in Cromer, a village in Hertfordshire, England. This amazing windmill was carefully fixed up in four steps between 1967 and 1998. It's so important that it's officially listed as a Grade II* building, which means it's a really significant historical place.
Contents
The Story of Cromer Windmill
Early Days of the Mill
The first windmill in the area of Ardeley was built a very long time ago. We know it existed between the years 1192 and 1222. In 1374, a windmill in the area was described as "in ruins," meaning it was broken down. Another mill was mentioned in 1576 when it was sold to William Crane. It's thought that his family owned the mill for about 200 years.
Even though some old maps from the late 1600s and early 1700s don't show a windmill, we know the current mill is very old. Scientists used a method called tree-ring dating on the main wooden post of the mill. They found that the tree used for this post was cut down in the spring of 1679. Another piece of wood even has a date carved into it: 1681. This tells us the mill was built around that time.
Millers and Changes Over Time
Many different people worked as millers at Cromer Windmill. Matthew Crane was the miller in 1719. Later, in 1773, John Pearman inherited the mill from his uncle, John Crane. The mill was sold again in 1800 to Thomas Pearman.
In 1822, William Munt took over and worked the mill until he passed away in 1837. His wife, Edith, then ran the mill until 1856, when their son David took charge.
A Dramatic Collapse and Rebuilding
Something dramatic happened in the 1860s! A local person said they found the mill one morning "lying a shattered mass of timber across the road." While there's no official record of this, the tree-ring dating of a large wooden beam (called the east–west crosstree) supports the story. This beam dates to between 1840 and 1885. If it broke during a strong westerly wind, the mill could have indeed fallen across the road.
In 1869, David Munt sold the broken mill for £600 to William Boorman. William already owned a blacksmith business in Cromer. He didn't just rebuild the mill; he made it more modern! He added special "patent sails" that could be adjusted easily. He also added a lot of iron parts to the machinery, a "fantail" (which helps the mill face the wind), and a "roundhouse" (a building around the base).
New Power and New Sails
William Boorman passed away in 1877, and his wife Emily continued to run the mill until 1888. Then, their son Ebenezer took over. By this time, a steam engine was being used to help power the mill. It even drove a set of grinding stones at the mill house down the hill.
In the 1890s, the mill was sold to Samuel Woollatt, but Ebenezer continued to work there until 1898. Joseph Ponder Scowen then bought the mill. During this time, the sails were changed again to a "double-shuttered" type. In 1914, local carpenters replaced those sails with the unique ones you see today.
Getting a new, very long wooden part (called a "stock") from Sweden was quite an adventure! It was 60 feet (18.29 m) long and even went through a cottage window in Buntingford during its journey! By 1919, the steam engine was replaced by an "oil engine." This engine powered another pair of grinding stones outside the roundhouse.
Joseph Ponder Scowen worked the mill until he passed away in 1920. His widow, Marian, ran it for a couple of years. In 1922, Richard Hull took over. He worked the mill until 1930, mostly using the oil engine after 1923. This was because the fantail had blown off by 1926, and one of the sails had broken off by 1929. By 1932, the other three sails were taken down, and the mill became unused and neglected.
Saving the Windmill
In 1938, a group of people, led by Captain Berry, were worried about losing this important piece of local history. They re-boarded and painted the main body of the mill (called the "buck"). If they hadn't done this, 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 spot enemy planes and parachutists! Luckily, the main part of the mill survived. However, by 1964, it was becoming unsafe and was almost torn down.
In 1966, members of the new Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust started an appeal. They raised £4000 to begin the first phase of restoration between 1967 and 1969. The owner, George Turner, gave the mill to the Trust in 1967. The Trust decided to fix it up to how it looked when it was last working.
J. A. Elliott Ltd rebuilt the roofs, and E. Hole and Sons made new parts like the stocks, sail frames, and a new tail ladder. More big repairs happened in 1979-1980 to stop Death Watch beetles from damaging the wood.
By 1989, more money became available. There was even an idea to use a helicopter to move the mill to a new spot where it could work again, but this didn't happen. In 1990, Dorothea Restorations Ltd worked on the mill, adding a new weather beam and rebuilding the brake wheel. They also made new sail stocks and frames that looked like the last working ones. On May 8, 1991, the mill opened to the public for the very first time!
The final big restoration, Phase 4, happened in 1998. This work was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage. It involved fixing the meal beam, rebuilding the bin floor, and adding the sail shutters and other internal parts. This work brought the mill almost back to full working order. The mill was officially reopened on June 21, 1998, by Richard Whitmore.
How Cromer Windmill Works
Cromer Windmill is a post mill, which means its entire body (the "buck") can turn on a central post to face the wind. It has a single-storey roundhouse at its base. Inside the roundhouse, you'll find the strong wooden frame called the "trestle," which supports the whole mill.
The main post is very thick, about 22 inches (560 mm) square at the bottom and 20 inches (510 mm) wide at the top. It's about 18 feet 9 inches (5.72 m) long. Large wooden beams called "crosstrees," which are 22 feet (6.71 m) long, rest on four brick supports about 5 feet (1.52 m) high. Four other beams, called "quarter bars," each 11 feet (3.35 m) long, help support the structure.
The main body of the mill is about 17 feet (5.18 m) by 13 feet 4 inches (4.06 m) and stands 26 feet (7.92 m) tall. The whole mill is about 38 feet 6 inches (11.73 m) high! A "fantail" mounted on the ladder helps turn the mill so its sails always face the wind.
The mill has four special "Patent sails." These sails are unique because they have one-piece shutters that cover the full width of both sides of the sails. Each sail is 26 feet (7.92 m) long and 7 feet (2.13 m) wide, and they span a total of 56 feet (17.07 m) when turning. These sails are attached to a strong cast-iron "windshaft," which replaced an older wooden one.
The windshaft connects to a large wooden "brake wheel" with 72 teeth. This brake wheel turns a cast-iron "wallower" with 18 teeth, which is at the top of a tall cast-iron "upright shaft." At the bottom of this shaft, a large cast-iron "great spur wheel" with 64 wooden teeth drives two pairs of "millstones." These millstones grind the grain into flour.
Here are some of the millstones you can find at Cromer Windmill:
- One pair of millstones is made of "French Burr" stone and is 4 feet 3 inches (1.30 m) wide.
- Another "French Burr" millstone is 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 m) wide.
- A "Derbyshire Peak Runner" millstone, almost new, is located in the tail of the mill.
- Another "Derbyshire Peak Runner" millstone, which was broken and repaired, is outside the roundhouse. It came from Draper's Mill in Margate.
Millers of Cromer Windmill
Here is a list of the people who worked as millers at Cromer Windmill over the years:
- 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 usually 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.
