List of windmills in Hertfordshire facts for kids

This article lists all the windmills and places where windmills once stood in Hertfordshire, a county in England. Windmills are amazing structures that use wind power to grind grain or pump water. They were very important before electricity was common.

Windmills of Hertfordshire: A Historic Look

Windmills have been a part of Hertfordshire's landscape for hundreds of years. They helped local communities by grinding flour for bread. Most windmills here were either post mills, smock mills, or tower mills.

Types of Windmills You Might See

• Post Mill: This is the oldest type. The whole body of the mill, which holds the machinery, turns on a central post to face the wind.
• Smock Mill: These mills have a fixed, usually wooden, tower-like base that looks a bit like a farmer's smock (a loose shirt). Only the top part, called the cap, turns to catch the wind.
• Tower Mill: These are usually built from brick or stone. Like smock mills, only their cap turns. They are often stronger and taller than other types.

Notable Windmill Locations in Hertfordshire

Here's a look at some of the interesting windmill sites in Hertfordshire. Many of these mills are no longer standing, but their history lives on.

Location	Mill Name and Grid Reference	Type of Mill	First Mention or Built	Last Mention or Demise	Photo
Bishop's Stortford	Hockerill Mill Approximately TL 497 212	Tower	c. 1823	1914, gone by 1918.	Hockerill Windmill in Bishop's Stortford.
Brent Pelham	Brent Pelham Mill TL 433 313	Smock	1826	Windmill World
Colney Heath	Colney Heath Mill TL 205 055	Tower	1854	Windmill World
Cromer	Cromer Mill TL 304 286	Post	1720	Windmill World	Cromer Windmill, a historic post mill.
Croxley Green	Croxley Green Mill TQ 067 953	Tower	c. 1860	Windmill World
King's Walden	Breachwood Green Mill TL 146 232	Tower	c. 1859	Windmill World	Breachwood Green Windmill.
Little Hadham	Little Hadham Mill TL 438 229	Smock	1786	Burnt down 31 July 1981 Windmill World
Much Hadham	TL 422 183	Tower	1892	Demolition began 1925
Tring	Goldfield Mill Grover's Mill SP 915 117	Tower	c. 1839	Windmill World	Goldfield Mill in Tring.
Weston	Lannock Mill TL 253 306	Tower	1860	Windmill World

Windmills in Other Areas Now

Some windmill locations that were once in Hertfordshire are now part of other counties.

• For windmills in Arkley and Totteridge, you can check the List of windmills in Greater London.
• Two other mill sites near Markyate are now in Bedfordshire. You can find them in the List of windmills in Bedfordshire.

Historical Maps Showing Windmills

Historians and researchers use old maps to find out where windmills used to be. These maps help us understand how the landscape and industries have changed over time. Here are some of the important maps that show Hertfordshire's windmills:

• 1675 John Ogilby
• 1676 John Seller
• 1695 John Ogilby
• 1700 Herman Moll
• 1720 John Warburton
• 1728 Clark
• 1749 Thomas Kitchin
• 1766 Dury & Andrews
• 1800 Ordnance Survey
• 1822 Andrew Bryant

Images for kids

• 

  Hockerill Windmill in Bishop's Stortford.

• 

  Cromer Windmill, a historic post mill.

• 

  Breachwood Green Windmill.

• 

  Goldfield Mill in Tring.