John Webb's Mill, Thaxted facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Webb's Mill |
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The restored mill, October 2004
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | John Webb's Mill Lowe's Mill |
| Grid reference | TL 609 308 |
| Coordinates | 51°57′09″N 0°20′28″E / 51.9525°N 0.3410°E |
| Operator(s) | The Thaxted Society |
| Year built | 1804 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Five storeys |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Fantail |
| Fantail blades | Eight blades |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Three pairs |
| Size of millstones | 5 feet (1.52 m), 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) and 4 feet 3 inches (1.30 m) |
John Webb’s Mill, also called Lowe’s Mill, is a very old and important tower mill located in Thaxted, Essex, England. It is a "Grade II* listed" building, which means it's a special historic place. This mill was fixed up to work again, but it's currently not running because one of its sails broke in April 2010.
Contents
History of John Webb's Mill
Building the Windmill in 1804
John Webb's Mill was built in 1804. It was made for John Webb, who was a local farmer and owned land. He needed the mill to make more flour for people in Thaxted and even in London.
The mill was built using materials found nearby. The wood came from two local farms. The bricks were made at a place in the Chelmer Valley, which John Webb also owned.
Who Worked at the Mill?
The mill was always run by millers named Lowe or John Webb. This is how it got its two names: John Webb's Mill and Lowe's Mill. The mill stopped working for business in 1910.
Restoring the Historic Mill
The mill was not used for over twenty years. Then, the Thaxted Civic Trust helped fix it up. They made sure the building was waterproof. The lower parts of the mill were even used as a Scout hut for a while.
In the 1950s, the Thaxted Parish Council took ownership of the mill. The Thaxted Society, which started in 1964, has done a lot to help restore the mill. Thanks to them, it was able to work fully again.
Recent Events and Repairs
In 2004, the top part of the mill, called the cap, and its sails were taken off. This was done so that workers could fix the brickwork at the top of the tower. These repairs were finished by the end of that year.
The mill was officially opened again on April 8, 2005, by Lord Petre. However, on April 5, 2010, a part of one of the sails broke. The sail fell to the ground and damaged a platform. Luckily, no one was hurt, even though there were several visitors inside the mill at the time.
Today, the ground and first floors of the mill have a small museum. It shows old tools and items used in farming.
How John Webb's Mill Works
Understanding the Mill's Structure
John Webb’s Mill is a tower mill. This means it has a tall, round stone tower. It has five floors inside. The top of the mill has a rounded cap with a walkway around it.
The cap can turn to face the wind. It moves thanks to an eight-bladed fantail. This is like a small propeller on the back of the cap. There is also a platform, or stage, on the first floor.
The base of the mill tower is about 24 feet (7.3 meters) wide. It gets narrower at the top, where it is about 15 feet (4.6 meters) wide. The tower itself is about 48 feet 6 inches (14.8 meters) tall. It was made taller by about 4 feet (1.2 meters) at some point. The whole mill, including the cap, is about 54 feet (16.5 meters) high. The brick walls are very thick, about 4 feet (1.2 meters) at the bottom.
Inside the Mill: Machinery
Inside the mill, a strong cast-iron shaft, called the windshaft, connects to the sails. This shaft turns a large wheel with 88 teeth, called a brake wheel.
The brake wheel then turns a smaller wooden wheel, called a wallower, which has 50 teeth. This wallower is on a tall, upright shaft made of cast iron. This shaft then turns another large wheel, the great spur wheel, which has 122 teeth.
The great spur wheel drives three smaller gears, called stone nuts. Two of these have 19 teeth, and one has 20 teeth. These stone nuts turn the millstones. The mill has three pairs of millstones. They are different sizes: 5 feet (1.5 meters), 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 meters), and 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters) across.
Changes Over Time
When it was first built, John Webb’s Mill had a wooden windshaft. It was a bit longer than the one it has now. It also had four simple sails. Back then, it only had two pairs of millstones. The third pair was added later.
By 1890, the mill had four "double Patent sails." These were more advanced sails that could adjust automatically to the wind. In the early 1900s, it was working with two double Patent sails and two single Patent sails.
Millers of John Webb's Mill
Here are some of the people who worked as millers at John Webb's Mill:
- John Webb (1823)
- Lowe (1837)
- John Webb (1848–1853)
- Harry Lowe (1907–1910)
Visiting John Webb's Mill
You can visit John Webb's Mill! It is usually open in the afternoon on Sundays and on Bank Holidays from May to September. You can also arrange to visit at other times by making an appointment.
Cultural Connections of the Mill
John Webb's Mill even appeared in a movie! It was used in a scene from Passolini's 1972 film, The Canterbury Tales. The movie was based on the famous old stories.
In the film, the mill was shown before it was restored, looking a bit old and worn. It was in the background during a conversation between three characters: the Summoner, the Devil, and the Old Woman. This scene was part of "The Friar's Tale."
It's interesting to note that using a 19th-century tower mill in a story set in medieval England is an example of anachronism. This means something is placed in a time period where it doesn't belong.
Images for kids
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Almshouses near St John's church, with John Webb's Windmill in the background (July 2012).
