Syleham Windmill facts for kids

The Syleham Windmill was a special type of windmill called a post mill. It was located in Syleham, Suffolk, England. This old mill was first built in 1730 in a place called Wingfield. Later, in 1823, it was carefully moved to Syleham.

Sadly, the Syleham Windmill was knocked down by a very strong storm on October 16, 1987. Even though the top part of the mill is gone, some of its base still remains today. You can still see the roundhouse and the strong wooden frame, called a trestle, that once held the mill up.

The Story of Syleham Windmill

From Wingfield to Syleham: A Mill on the Move

The Syleham Windmill actually started its life in a different village, Wingfield. It was one of two windmills standing close together there. In 1820, a man named Robert Sparkes owned both mills. He thought they were too close to each other.

So, in 1823, he decided to move one of them. The mill traveled about 2 miles (3.2 km) to its new home in Syleham. This was a big job to move such a large structure!

New Owners and Important Changes

Over the years, many different people owned and worked at the Syleham Windmill. After Robert Sparkes, George Dye owned it in 1839. Later, the Bryant family took over.

In 1907, Arthur Bryant became the owner. He added a new engine to the mill. This Ruston & Hornsby engine helped to power an extra set of millstones inside the roundhouse. This meant the mill could grind more grain, even when there wasn't enough wind.

Surviving Storms and Strikes

The Syleham Windmill was quite tough! In 1936, it was hit by a lightning strike, but it managed to survive.

Another challenge came in July 1946. A strong wind blew the mill in the wrong direction, causing two of its large sails to crash into the roundhouse. A skilled millwright named Jesse Wightman repaired the damage. He used parts of the old sails to make two new ones.

The Final Years of Wind Power

In 1949, Elizabeth Jillard bought the mill. The mill continued to grind grain using wind power until 1951. For a while, it only had two working sails.

After 1951, an oil engine powered the millstones in the roundhouse until 1967. In that year, Ivor Wingfield, who was Arthur Bryant's grandson, bought the mill.

The Great Storm of 1987

In 1974, some repairs were made to the roundhouse. There were plans to fully restore the entire windmill.

However, on October 16, 1987, a very powerful storm hit. One of the main support posts of the mill broke, and the Syleham Windmill was blown down. The remaining parts of the mill's body were removed in June 2007.

What Syleham Windmill Looked Like

The Syleham Mill was a type of windmill called a post mill. This means the entire top part of the mill could turn around on a central post. This allowed the mill to face the wind from any direction.

The mill stood on a two-story roundhouse. This roundhouse was built from a type of soft limestone called clunch.

The mill had four large sails, known as Spring sails. These sails were attached to a strong cast iron shaft called a windshaft. The windshaft turned two sets of millstones, which were used to grind corn.

To make sure the sails always faced the wind, the mill had a special tail called a fantail. This fantail automatically turned the mill body into the wind. An oil engine was later added to power an extra set of millstones inside the roundhouse.

People Who Ran the Mill

Here are some of the people who worked at and owned the Syleham Windmill over the years:

• Robert Sparkes (1823)
• George Dye (1839-1847)
• John Bokenham (1847-1848)
• John Bryant (1848-1867)
• Sarah Ann Bryant (1867-1874)
• James Bryant (1874-1907)
• Arthur John Bryant (1907-1936)
• Jack Penton (1945-1949)
• Elizabeth Jillard (1949-1967)