Windmill Hill Mill, Herstmonceux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Windmill Hill Mill, Herstmonceux |
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The windmill at Windmill Hill, 2018
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| Origin | |
| Grid reference | TQ 648 122 |
| Coordinates | 50°53′10″N 0°20′31″E / 50.886°N 0.342°E |
| Year built | ca. 1814 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Post mill |
| Roundhouse storeys | Two storey roundhouse |
| No. of sails | Four |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Originally Tailpole, now by computer controlled battery powered electric motor |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs, arranged Head and Tail |
| Other information | Largest post mill in Sussex. Only surviving example of Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor is fitted to this mill. |
Windmill Hill Mill is a very special old windmill located in Herstmonceux, Sussex, England. It's a type of windmill called a post mill, and it has been carefully fixed up. Now, it works again and you can even visit it! The mill is usually open on Sundays from Easter until October.
Contents
History of the Windmill
Windmill Hill Mill was built around 1814. A skilled builder named William Medhurst from Lewes constructed it. The mill used wind power to grind grain until 1893. It had to stop because a main beam, called a weatherbeam, became too weak.
This windmill is the biggest post mill in all of Sussex. It's also special because it has a unique part called Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor. This device helps control how the sails work. Another mill, Jack Mill in Clayton, also had one of these.
After the mill stopped using wind, a steam engine was put in its roundhouse. This engine helped continue the milling work. For many years, the mill was left alone and became quite damaged. Some of its main support beams were broken.
Restoring the Windmill
In 1994, a strong steel frame was put around the mill to support it. The old iron sheets covering the mill's front and sides were taken off. Plywood was used to cover the back of the mill to keep out bad weather.
A special group, called a trust, was started in 1995. Their goal was to stop the mill from getting worse and to plan how to fix it. The Heritage Lottery Fund agreed to help pay for the restoration. English Heritage also helped by funding a study to prepare for the lottery application.
A detailed study of the mill happened in the summer of 2000. A company called IJP Millwrights was hired to restore the mill. In December 2001, they received a large grant of £570,000. The total cost to fix the mill was £770,000. This was the biggest lottery grant ever given to a single windmill!
The mill was carefully taken apart in November and December 2003. Its pieces were moved to IJP's workshops. Modern building methods, including CAD (which uses computers to design and analyze structures), helped assess the mill's parts. They found that one of the main support beams, called a quarterbar, needed to be replaced. It had been damaged by Death Watch Beetles.
The rebuilt frame of the mill was lifted back onto its main post on September 7, 2004. The large sails were put back on the mill between November 24 and December 3, 2005.
On November 19, 2014, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave another £80,800. This money was for fixing the machinery and sails so the mill could grind flour again. On November 5, 2015, the full patent sails turned for the first time in 120 years!
How the Windmill Works
Windmill Hill Mill is a post mill that sits on a two-storey roundhouse. It has four large patent sails. These sails are attached to a cast-iron shaft called a windshaft. Originally, a long pole called a tailpole was used to turn the mill into the wind.
Now, a computer controls how the mill turns. Sensors on the mill tell the computer which way the wind is blowing. This allows the mill to automatically face the wind. Inside, a wooden brake-wheel with 104 teeth helps power the mill. It drives a smaller gear with twelve teeth.
The mill used to power two pairs of millstones. These stones would grind grain into flour. The mill's main body is about 21 feet 3 inches (6.48 meters) long and 12 feet 3 inches (3.73 meters) wide. This makes it the largest surviving post mill in the United Kingdom by floor size. It stands about 50 feet 10 inches (15.49 meters) high to its roof. This makes it the second tallest post mill in England.
The roundhouse at the base is about 22 feet 6 inches (6.86 meters) across. It also has a small extension around part of its side. When the mill was first built, the roundhouse only had one storey. It was made taller in the 1850s. The special Hammond's Sweep Governor was added in the 1870s.
Millers Who Worked Here
- Beeney (1845 - 1877)
- Charles Edwin Hammond (1878 - 1887)
- Henry Harmer (1887 - 1913)
