Saxtead Green Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saxtead Green Post Mill |
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Saxtead Green Post Mill
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Saxtead Green Post Mill |
| Grid reference | TM 253 644 |
| Coordinates | 52°13′54″N 1°17′54″E / 52.2318°N 1.2984°E |
| Operator(s) | English Heritage |
| Year built | Late 18th century |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Post mill |
| Storeys | Three storey buck |
| Roundhouse storeys | Three storey roundhouse |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Fantail |
| Fantail blades | Six blades |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs |
Saxtead Green Post Mill is a special type of windmill called a post mill. You can find it in Saxtead Green, near Woodbridge, in Suffolk, England. It's a very important old building, so it's been protected as a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled monument. This means it's a historic site that has been carefully fixed up and looked after.
Contents
The Story of Saxtead Mill
Early Days and Changes
People have known about a windmill in Saxtead since way back in 1287! The mill you see today, Saxtead Green Mill, has been around since at least 1796. Back then, a miller named Amos Webber worked there. A few years later, in 1810, a house for the miller was built for Robert Holmes.
Over the years, the mill was actually made taller three times! This helped it catch more wind. Around 1853, something called "tail-winding" happened. This means the wind hit the back of the mill too hard, damaging its sails. New sails were made, and in 1854, special builders called millwrights from Wickham Market put in new metal parts and a new main shaft. They also changed how the grinding stones worked. This was also when the mill was raised for the third time.
Later Years and Restoration
Millwrights kept working on the mill in the late 1800s. From 1926, a millwright named Jesse Wightman helped the owner with repairs. The mill stopped grinding grain for money in 1947, after the last miller passed away.
The mill then went to Mr. Steven Charles Sullivan, whose family had owned it since 1873. In 1951, he put the mill under the care of the government's Ministry of Works. Today, his sons, Stephen and Jonathan Sullivan, still own the mill.
Between 1957 and 1960, the mill was completely rebuilt, with Jesse Wightman guiding the work. They even used a special wooden beam from another windmill that had been taken down. Since 1984, English Heritage has been looking after the mill.
In 2008, the mill got new sails and more repairs. Then, in 2017, English Heritage started a big project to fix it up even more, costing £250,000! A local millwright, Tim Whiting, built new sails and replaced the fantail, which helps the mill turn into the wind. The mill was supposed to open again in April 2020, but because of the Coronavirus pandemic, it was delayed until 2021.
How the Mill Works
Saxtead Green Mill is a post mill, which means the whole top part of the mill can turn to face the wind. It has a three-storey roundhouse at its base.
The mill has four special Patent sails. These sails are attached to a strong metal shaft called a windshaft. A fantail at the back of the mill helps it automatically turn to face the wind. Inside, the mill has two pairs of millstones that grind the grain. Most of the parts inside are made of strong metal, but the big brake wheel, which helps stop the mill, is made of oak wood.
Millers of Saxtead Green Mill
Here are some of the people who worked as millers at Saxtead Green Mill over the years:
- Amos Webber (1796)
- Robert Holmes (1810)
- George Holmes
- George William Holmes
- Mr Meadows
- Mr Steggles
- Mr Rouse
- Frederick Eldred
- Alfred Aldred
- Alfred Stephenson Robert Aldred (until 1947)
Visiting the Mill
You can visit Saxtead Green Post Mill! It is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Bank Holidays. These visiting days are available from April 1st to September 30th each year.
