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Stanford Windmill facts for kids

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Stanford Windmill
Origin
Mill location TR 128 378
Coordinates 51°6′1″N 1°2′17″E / 51.10028°N 1.03806°E / 51.10028; 1.03806
Year built 1857
Information
Purpose Corn mill
Type Tower mill
Storeys Five storeys
No. of sails Four
Type of sails Patent sails
Windshaft Cast iron
Winding Fantail
Fantail blades Eight blades
Auxiliary power Paraffin engine
Oil engine 1936 -
Electric motor - 1969
No. of pairs of millstones Four pairs

The Stanford Windmill is a special old building called a tower mill in Stanford, Kent, England. It was built in 1857 and is considered a very important historical site. You can find it on Kennett Lane in Stanford.

History of Stanford Windmill

How the Mill Was Built

The Stanford mill was built in 1857 by a person named John Hill. He was a millwright, which is someone who designs and builds mills. John Hill came from Ashford.

Changes Over Time

During World War I, a bomb landed near the mill. This caused a crack in the mill's tower. After the war, a special engine that ran on paraffin (like kerosene) was added to help the mill work.

In 1936, this paraffin engine was replaced with a newer engine made by Ruston & Hornsby. The mill also got new sails several times, in 1925, 1930, and 1936.

When the Wind Stopped Working

The mill used wind power until 1946. After that year, the special parts called "shutters" were taken off the sails. In 1961, the sails and the top roof of the mill were removed. A new, simpler roof was put on the cap frame.

The mill kept grinding grain using its engine until 1969. The paraffin engine was replaced with an electric motor to keep it running. Some of the mill's parts were later used to help fix another old mill called Draper's Mill in Margate during the 1970s.

What the Mill Looks Like

Parts of the Tower Mill

The Stanford mill is a five-storey tower mill. This means it's a tall, round building with five levels inside. It used to have a special roof called a Kentish-type cap.

It had four large sails that were called "patent sails." These sails were attached to a strong cast-iron pole called a windshaft.

How it Worked

The mill used a fantail to turn the cap and sails into the wind. A fantail is like a small windmill on the back of the cap that automatically keeps the main sails facing the wind. There was also a platform, or "stage," on the first floor.

Inside, the mill had four pairs of millstones. These large stones were used to grind grain into flour. It also had two steel mills and two roller mills for different types of grinding.

Inside the Mill Machinery

The main wheel that helped the mill work was a mix of iron and wood. It had iron arms and a wooden rim. This wheel turned another part made of cast-iron called a wallower. The wallower then turned a large cast-iron wheel called the great spur wheel.

The millstones were powered from above, which is called "overdrift." This means the power came down from the machinery to turn the stones.

Millers Who Worked Here

  • J Fox (1862)
  • Thomas Rolfe (1878)
  • Henry Taylor (1913–1929)
  • G R Holt (1929–1946)
  • H Beresford Lye (1946–1959)
  • M Hancock & Son (1959–1969)
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