Shiremark Mill, Capel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Capel Windmill |
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Shiremark Mill, c.1919
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Shiremark Mill Kingsfold Mill Capel Mill |
| Grid reference | TQ 1719 3760 |
| Coordinates | 51°07′33″N 0°19′36″W / 51.12578°N 0.32673°W |
| Year built | 1774 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Smock mill |
| Storeys | Three-storey smock |
| Base storeys | Single-storey base |
| Smock sides | Eight sides |
| No. of sails | Four sails |
| Type of sails | Double Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Hand winded by wheel and chain |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs |
| Year lost | Burnt down 1972 |
| Other information | Only windmill with stones on a hurst frame south of the River Thames |
Shiremark Mill, also known as Kingsfold Mill or Capel Mill, was a special type of Smock mill in Capel, Surrey, England. It was a listed building, meaning it was important and protected. Sadly, it burned down in 1972.
Contents
History of Shiremark Mill
Shiremark Mill was built in 1774. It even used some parts from an older post mill that was taken down nearby. The mill got its name because it was very close to the border with Sussex. Many people thought it was in Sussex, but it was actually just inside Surrey.
The mill was put up for sale in 1777. It was described as "new-built" at that time. In 1802, the Stone family bought the mill. They worked it for many years, until 1919.
In 1886, a strong wind blew from the wrong direction. This damaged the mill's top part (the cap) and its sails. Local mill builders from Horsham fixed it that same year. The mill continued to work using wind power until 1919. It stopped then because a part called the "curb" was broken.
After 1919, Shiremark Mill slowly started to fall apart. In 1933, an expert looked at it and said it would cost about £100 to fix. Some repairs were made to the cap, but the mill was left to get worse again.
In 1950, the local council tried to save the mill. They worked with a group called the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. By 1951, the mill was officially listed as an important old building. In 1952, another detailed check showed that the main wooden parts at the bottom were rotten. It was estimated that restoring the mill would cost £2,500. Some support beams were added, but no other major work was done.
The mill had all four sails in 1928. However, they fell off one by one over the years. The last sail fell in 1956. Pictures show the cap was still there in 1958. But by 1966, the roof was gone, leaving the inside open to the weather.
How the Mill Looked
Shiremark Mill was a three-storey smock mill built on a single-storey base. It didn't have a platform (stage) around it. Instead, earth was piled up against the base. This made it easier to reach the sails. The mill used to work with four double Patent sails. These sails were on a cast-iron windshaft. The top part (cap) was turned by hand using a wheel.
The Base of the Mill
The mill stood on an eight-sided brick base. Inside, this base was about 2.6 meters (8 feet 6 inches) tall. Outside, it was about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall from the ground. Earth was piled up around the base. This helped workers reach the sails to adjust them. The brick walls of the base got thinner towards the top. The base was about 7.3 meters (24 feet) wide across its flat sides. By 2006, only this brick base remained. It was mostly hidden by thick plants.
The Smock Tower
The three-storey smock tower sat on strong oak beams. These beams were about 25 cm (10 inches) by 15 cm (6 inches) thick. The eight main support posts, called cant posts, were also made of oak. They were about 25 cm (10 inches) by 23 cm (9 inches) square and 6.4 meters (21 feet) long. These posts held up a round oak ring at the top, which was about 4.3 meters (14 feet) wide.
There were two sets of oak cross beams, called transoms, inside. These were about 15 cm (6 inches) square. They supported the wooden beams for the floors inside the mill. Each of the twenty-four sections of the smock had a vertical oak post and two diagonal supports. On the bottom floor of the smock, there were two doors. They were on opposite sides so workers could always get in, no matter which way the sails were facing.
Inside, the bottom floor of the smock had two different levels. There was a 1.2 meter (4 feet) height difference between them. The main beams were about 7 meters (23 feet) long and 30 cm (12 inches) square. These beams formed the base of a special support structure called a Hurst Frame. This type of frame is more common in watermills than windmills. Shiremark Mill was the only known windmill south of the River Thames with a hurst frame. Chesterton Mill in Warwickshire is another mill with a hurst frame that still stands today.
The Cap of the Mill
The cap, or roof, of the mill was about 5.2 meters (17 feet) by 4.3 meters (14 feet) wide. It was about 3.2 meters (10 feet 6 inches) tall above the top of the tower. The whole mill was about 12.2 meters (40 feet) high from the ground floor to the top of the cap. The main frame of the cap had two strong beams called sheers. These were about 30 cm (12 inches) square and 4.9 meters (16 feet) long. They were set 3 meters (10 feet) apart.
The cap was turned by hand using a large wheel. This wheel was about 2.4 meters (8 feet) wide and was located inside the back of the cap. It took a lot of chain (about 0.4 kilometers or a quarter mile) to turn the mill halfway around.
Sails and Windshaft
When it was first built, the mill had four simple sails. After the wind damage in 1886, new parts were added. This included a new cap, a new windshaft, and four double Patent sails. These sails were about 2.1 meters (6 feet 10 inches) wide. They stretched out about 18.3 meters (60 feet) from tip to tip. Each pair of sails was held by a long wooden beam called a stock. These stocks were about 11.9 meters (39 feet) long.
The windshaft was made of cast iron and was about 4.9 meters (16 feet) long. It had a special part at the end to hold the stocks. This windshaft was later used to help restore Ripple Mill in Kent in 1994.
Mill Machinery
The main upright shaft inside the mill was made of elm wood. It was about 6.4 meters (21 feet) long. This shaft held a cast-iron wheel called a Wallower. The Wallower was about 0.9 meters (3 feet) wide and had 26 teeth. It replaced an older wooden wheel. The bottom of the wallower had a special ring that helped power the sack hoist, which lifted sacks of grain.
At the bottom of the upright shaft, there was a large wooden wheel called the Great Spur Wheel. It was about 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches) wide and had 70 teeth. This wheel turned the two pairs of millstones from below. The mill had two types of millstones: French Burr stones and Peak stones. Each pair of millstones had its own device, called a governor, to control how fast they turned. These governors were missing when the mill was checked in 1952.
Millers Who Worked Here
- David Southow, 1774–1777
- John Stone, 1802–
- Thomas Stone
- G. Stone
- Eliza Stone
- John Chantler, around 1875
- William Rapley, 1886
- George Stone, 1919
Culture and Literature
The writer Hilaire Belloc mentioned Shiremark Mill in the introduction to his book The Four Men.
Images for kids
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Shiremark Mill in the 1930s
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