Moulton Windmill facts for kids
Moulton Windmill is a very tall and impressive windmill located in the village of Moulton, in Lincolnshire, England. It stands between the towns of Spalding and Holbeach. This historic mill has been carefully restored and is now known as one of the tallest working tower mills in the entire United Kingdom.
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Moulton Windmill: A Giant of the Fens
Moulton Windmill is truly a giant! It has nine floors and stands about 80 feet (24.4 meters) tall to its main structure. If you measure to the very top of its special curved roof, called an ogee cap, it reaches an amazing 100 feet (29.6 meters). With its four large sails spinning, Moulton Mill is the tallest working windmill in Great Britain. It is also one of the tallest windmills anywhere in the world.
A Look Back: The Mill's History
This impressive mill was built around 1822 by a person named Robert King. For many years, it worked hard, grinding wheat and other crops into flour. However, on December 20, 1894, a very strong storm hit the area. The mill's sails were badly damaged and had to be taken off the next year, in 1895.
After the sails were removed, a new system was put in place. The mill started using steam power instead of wind power to grind grain. A. W. Tindall leased the mill from the King family from 1890 until 1921. Later, the Biggadike family took over in 1924. They continued to use the mill, even if it was just for grinding smaller amounts of animal feed, until 1995.
Bringing the Mill Back to Life
After many years, people in the local community decided they wanted to bring the mill back to life. They started a special campaign to restore this important building, which is a Grade I listed site. This means it is a very important historical building.
In 2003, Moulton Mill was even featured on a TV show called Restoration on BBC2. This helped to bring attention to the project. The restoration project received a large grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Many local fundraising events also helped to gather money. Thanks to all these efforts, the "Friends of Moulton Mill" group successfully raised enough money. They were able to repair and rebuild the mill's structure and add a brand new cap.
The new white ogee cap is very heavy, weighing 14 tons! You can see it from miles away across the flat landscape of The Fens.
Visiting Moulton Mill Today
The restoration of Moulton Mill was a huge community effort. It took 14 years to complete and cost almost £2 million. New sails were finally put back on the mill on November 21, 2011. This marked the completion of the main restoration work.
On April 28, 2013, something very special happened. For the first time in over 100 years, the mill ground a bag of flour using only the power of the wind! This was a big moment for everyone involved.
Today, visitors can enjoy a café and a shop at the mill. The mill also has special access for disabled visitors, so more people can see some of its amazing inner workings. The "Friends of Moulton Mill" group encouraged local people to "sponsor" parts of the sails, helping to fund the ongoing care of the mill. In March 2007, the mill even ground flour again for the first time in many years. In June 2008, the reefing gallery, which is an outside balcony 40 feet from the ground, was also restored.
