Horsey Windpump facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Horsey Windpump |
|
|---|---|
Horsey Windpump
|
|
| Origin | |
| Mill location | Horsey, Norfolk |
| Grid reference | TG457221 |
| Coordinates | 52°44′28″N 1°38′20.50″E / 52.74111°N 1.6390278°E |
The Horsey Windpump is a special type of windmill called a windpump. It was built to pump water and drain the land. This amazing building is looked after by the National Trust. You can find it in the village of Horsey, which is part of The Broads area in Norfolk, England. It's not far from Great Yarmouth. The windpump is also a "grade II* listed building", which means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
Contents
Horsey Windpump's Story
Building the Windpump
The Horsey Windpump you see today was built in 1912. It was constructed on top of the old foundations of an even older mill from the 1700s. Imagine, a mill has stood in this spot for hundreds of years!
Damage and Repairs
The windpump worked hard for many years. But in 1943, something big happened: it was hit by lightning! This caused a lot of damage. A few years later, in 1948, the National Trust took over the care of the windpump from the Buxton family.
The mill needed a lot of help. Its sails were badly damaged and had to be taken off in 1956. New sails and a fantail (the small windmill at the back that turns the main sails into the wind) were put on in 1962.
Then, in 1987, a very strong storm, known as the Great Storm of 1987, hit the area. This storm caused even more damage to the windpump. It took more repair work to get it ready. Finally, in 1990, the Horsey Windpump was able to open its doors to visitors again.
A New Restoration Project
Over time, the windpump's sails wore out again. In 2014, they had to be removed. But don't worry, a big project started in 2016 to fix them! The goal was to repair the top part of the mill (called the cap) and put new sails back on. The dream was to make the windpump work fully again.
After a lot of hard work, something amazing happened on May 29, 2019. The sails turned for the first time since 1943! This was a huge moment. This restoration project even won an award in 2019 for being the 'Building Conservation Project of the Year'.
Even though the sails turned, there's still more work to do. They need to add more parts to the sails and test them in different wind conditions. The hope is that the sails will be turning regularly for visitors to see very soon!
Exploring the Horsey Estate
The Buxton family still helps manage the Horsey estate. They focus a lot on protecting nature and wildlife. Because of their efforts, the estate is now a very important place for wildlife from all over the world.
You can enjoy walking around the estate on special paths. One popular walk goes past another mill called Brograve Mill. This walk gives you amazing views across Horsey Mere (a large lake) and leads you to the beach at Horsey Gap.
There are many other windmills in this area, like West Somerton Mill, Heigham Holmes Mill, Brograve Mill, and Lambrigg Mill. The Horsey Windpump is usually open every day from March to October.
