Green's Mill, Sneinton facts for kids
Green's Windmill is a cool old windmill in Sneinton, Nottingham. It was built in the early 1800s to grind wheat into flour. The mill was used until the 1860s. Later, it was fixed up in the 1980s. Now, it's a working mill and a fun science center, making it a popular place for visitors.
History of Green's Windmill
This tower mill was built by a baker named George Green. It was finished shortly after 1807. The mill stands where an older wooden mill used to be. There were even other mills nearby on Windmill Lane.
In 1829, the elder George Green passed away. His son, a famous mathematician named George Green, took over the mill. A visitor once described how the mill worked. The giant sails were about 12 yards long. They spun 25 times every minute! This made the grinding stones inside turn very fast. These stones could grind a lot of wheat into flour in just a few hours. The sails were set at a special angle to catch the wind. The amount of cloth on the sails could be changed depending on how strong the wind was.
George Green ran the mill until he died in 1841. After that, his family rented it out. The mill kept working until the 1860s. But then, newer steam powered mills started to appear. These new mills were more efficient. So, Green's Windmill had to close down. Its sails were taken off, and the mill slowly fell apart. The wooden roof rotted away. Eventually, a part called the fantail broke off and crashed into a nearby house.
In 1919, a local lawyer named Oliver Hind bought the mill. In 1923, he put a copper cap on top to keep the building dry. The mill was then turned into a factory that made boot polish. But in 1947, the mill caught fire because of the flammable liquids inside. The roof was destroyed again. Once more, the mill became a ruin.
The mill was in very bad shape and almost torn down. But in 1979, the Nottingham City Council bought it. Money was raised by the University of Nottingham. Between 1984 and 1986, experts from Alford, Lincolnshire, fixed it up. It is a Grade 2 listed building. The mill reopened in December 1986. Today, it is part of a science center that everyone can visit.
How Green's Windmill Works
Green's Mill gets all its power from the wind. When the wind blows across the huge sails outside, they spin around. This spinning motion turns a big wooden drive shaft inside the building. Different machines inside the mill, like winches and millstones, get their power from this drive shaft using gear trains.
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1) Sacks of wheat grain are lifted to the top of the mill.
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2) Wheat is put into a machine that cleans the grain.
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3) The grain cleaner separates the good grain from the waste.
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4) Clean grain is then fed into the millstones.
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5) The millstones grind the grain into a fine powder called meal.
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6) The meal is collected into sacks below the millstones.
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7) The meal goes through a dresser, which sorts it into wholemeal and white flour.
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8) The fresh flour is bagged and sold to visitors.
See also
- Listed buildings in Nottingham (Dale ward)
