Gazeley Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gazeley Mill |
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The converted mill
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Gazeley Mill |
| Mill location | TL 717 649 |
| Coordinates | 52°15′19″N 0°30′59″E / 52.25528°N 0.51639°E |
| Operator(s) | Private |
| Year built | 1844 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Six storeys |
| No. of sails | Four Sails |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Winding | Fantail |
| Fantail blades | Six blades |
| Auxiliary power | Gippeswyck oil engine |
| No. of pairs of millstones | five pairs |
Gazeley Mill is a special type of windmill called a tower mill. It's located in Gazeley, Suffolk, England. This old mill has been changed into a home where people live today.
The Mill's Story
Gazeley Mill was built in 1837 by a person named William Death. It took the place of an older, different kind of windmill called a post mill that was nearby. A post mill is a type of windmill where the whole body of the mill turns on a central post.
This mill was very busy! It used its power to turn five pairs of large millstones. These stones would grind grain into flour.
In 1880, a special engine called a Gippeswyck oil engine was added. It was installed by Turners, who were millwrights from Soham. A millwright is a skilled builder or repairer of mills.
Later, in 1893, a new machine was put in. It was a "one-and-a-half-sack roller mill" made by E R & F Turner from Ipswich. This roller mill helped process grain even faster. The oil engine could power this new machine, and it could also still turn three of the five pairs of millstones.
Gazeley Mill stopped working around 1920. All its machinery was taken out. In 1947, the mill building was changed into a house.
What Gazeley Mill Looked Like
Gazeley Mill is a very tall building, with six floors, or "storeys." It had a special roof, called a "boat shaped cap," which looked a bit like the front of a boat. This cap had a walkway around it, called a "gallery."
The mill used a clever system called a "fantail" to make sure its sails always faced the wind. A fantail is a small windmill at the back of the cap that automatically turns the main cap and sails into the wind.
It had four large "Patent sails." These were advanced sails that could be adjusted easily from inside the mill. These sails powered the five pairs of millstones inside the building.
People Who Ran the Mill
Here are some of the millers who worked at Gazeley Mill:
- William Death: 1844–1893
- R J Harvey: 1893–1910
