West Winch Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Winch Windmill |
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West Winch Windmill
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| Origin | |
| Mill location | Village of West Winch |
| Grid reference | TF632168 |
| Coordinates | 52°43′27″N 0°24′51″E / 52.7241°N 0.4141°E |
| Year built | 1812 |
West Winch Windmill is a cool old windmill located in the village of West Winch. This village is in the county of Norfolk, England. It's about two miles south of a bigger town called King's Lynn. This windmill is a special kind of building, known as a grade II listed building. This means it's important for history and needs to be protected.
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About West Winch Windmill
This windmill isn't used for grinding grain anymore. Today, someone lives inside it! It has been turned into a private home.
How the Windmill Was Built
The West Winch Windmill was built way back in 1821. It's made from strong bricks. The outside of the mill was once covered in tar to protect it from the weather. The mill is very tall, standing over five floors high. It even had a special walkway, called a gallery, on its second floor.
The top part of the windmill, called the cap, was shaped in a special way known as "ogee planking." This cap had a fan with six blades on it. The windmill also had two pairs of "patent sails." These were the big arms that caught the wind.
What the Windmill Did Inside
Inside the mill, the turning sails powered three pairs of huge stones. These stones would grind grain into flour. There was also other machinery that helped with the milling process. The area around the windmill had other important buildings too. There was a granary to store grain, a workshop for repairs, and even a bakery where bread was made. At one point, a steam engine was added. This engine helped power a fourth set of grinding stones, making the mill even more powerful!
History of the Windmill
The West Winch Windmill stopped working and making flour in 1936. For the next 35 years, it slowly fell apart. By the early 1970s, the cap on top was breaking into pieces. The big sails and their main support were completely gone. Luckily, some of the machinery inside the mill was still there.
Restoration Efforts
In 1975, people started working to fix up the windmill. Special builders called millwrights helped with this big job. In 1975, the old, broken cap was taken off. A brand new cap was put on in 1977. This new cap even had a working six-blade fantail, which helped turn the cap to face the wind.
However, it's a bit of a mystery what happened to this new cap. Today, the mill's cap is missing again! It is currently sitting at the bottom of the tower, waiting to be repaired once more.
