Quainton Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quainton Windmill |
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Buckinghamshire's tallest working windmill
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Quainton Windmill |
| Coordinates | 51°52′32″N 0°54′59″W / 51.87558°N 0.916377°W |
| Operator(s) | Quainton Windmill Society |
| Year built | 1830-1832 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | tower mill |
| Storeys | Six storeys |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Metal |
| Winding | Hand winded via chain and wheel |
| No. of pairs of millstones | One |
Quainton Windmill is an old and important windmill located in the village of Quainton, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is a very tall building, standing at 70 feet (20 meters) high. This makes it the tallest windmill in Buckinghamshire!
The windmill was built a long time ago, between 1830 and 1832. It has six floors and is made of brick. For many years in the 1900s, it was not used. However, it has been fixed up and can now grind wheat into flour again. The same family who built the windmill, the Anstiss family, still owns it today.
Contents
A Mill's Journey: From Wind to Steam
Quainton Windmill started its life powered by wind. It used its large sails to turn machinery inside. This machinery would grind grain into flour. Later, a steam engine was added to help with the work. This meant the mill could keep grinding even when there was no wind.
The mill stopped working in 1900. For many years, it sat unused. Only one of its big sails was left.
Bringing the Windmill Back to Life
In 1974, the owner of the windmill decided to bring it back to life. They started the Quainton Windmill Society. This group worked for 23 years to fix and restore the windmill. Their hard work paid off! In 1997, the windmill was able to grind flour again.
Why Quainton Windmill is Special
In 2013, Quainton Windmill was recognized as a very important historical building. It was given a special status called Grade II*. This means it's considered extra important for several reasons:
- Amazing Design: The windmill's design and its inner workings show how technology changed over time. It adapted to new ways of milling.
- Still Working: Most of its original machinery is still inside and works perfectly. This is quite rare for such an old mill.
- Very Tall: It is one of the tallest six-story windmills in England. It's the third tallest overall! It also had a steam engine placed inside, which was unusual.
Protecting the Windmill's Future
In late 2013, experts checked the windmill very carefully. They used a special lift to look closely at the top parts. Their report showed that some of the wooden parts at the top were weak. Strong winds could cause problems, especially with the heavy sails.
To keep the windmill safe, its large sails and the fantail (a small windmill that turns the main cap into the wind) were carefully removed in December 2013. This helped reduce the stress on the old wooden parts.
Visiting the Windmill
You can visit Quainton Windmill! It is open on Sundays between 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM. These visiting hours are available from March through October. It's a great chance to see a working piece of history.
See also
