Clavering Windmills
Encyclopedia
Clavering Windmills are a pair of Grade II listed Tower mill
s at Clavering
, Essex
, England
which have both been converted to residential use. They are named North Mill and South Mill. A third mill existed in Clavering until the mid-nineteenth century, known as Clavering Mill.
. It was marked on a map dated c.1625 and then in the ownership of Sir Francis Barrington. In 1702 it was conveyed to Sir Charles Barrington. The mill was marked on Warburton, Bland and Smyth’s map of 1724. It was marked on a plan of Clavering dated 1783 and also on the 1840 Tithe map of Clavering. White’s Directory of 1848 records three millers in Clavering, the last date at which the post mill can be assumed to have been standing.
was installed in 1919 by Thomas Hunt, the Soham
millwright
. The sails were removed about this time, but the mill worked by the engine for many years.
were removed the following spring. No auxiliary power was provided, the mill working by wind alone.
South
North
References for above:-
Tower mill
A tower mill is a type of windmill which consists of a brick or stone tower, on top of which sits a roof or cap which can be turned to bring the sails into the wind....
s at Clavering
Clavering, Essex
Clavering is a village and also a parish in north-west Essex in England. The name 'Clavering' means 'place where clover grows'.-Location and local area:...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which have both been converted to residential use. They are named North Mill and South Mill. A third mill existed in Clavering until the mid-nineteenth century, known as Clavering Mill.
Clavering Mill
Clavering Mill was a Post millPost mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
. It was marked on a map dated c.1625 and then in the ownership of Sir Francis Barrington. In 1702 it was conveyed to Sir Charles Barrington. The mill was marked on Warburton, Bland and Smyth’s map of 1724. It was marked on a plan of Clavering dated 1783 and also on the 1840 Tithe map of Clavering. White’s Directory of 1848 records three millers in Clavering, the last date at which the post mill can be assumed to have been standing.
North Mill
North Mill was built for James Pavitt in 1811, working in conjunction with the post mill until 1845. A 16 hp oil engineOil engine
Oil engine may refer to:* Hornsby-Akroyd oil engine* Hot bulb engine* Hesselman engine...
was installed in 1919 by Thomas Hunt, the Soham
Soham
Soham is a small town in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It lies just off the A142 between Ely and Newmarket . Its population is 9,102 , and it is within the district of East Cambridgeshire.-Archaeology:...
millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
. The sails were removed about this time, but the mill worked by the engine for many years.
South Mill
South Mill was built in 1757. The mill was idle in 1906, but then put back to work by its new owner, William Caton. It worked by wind until autumn 1919 and the sailsWindmill sail
Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different designs, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails.-Jib sails:...
were removed the following spring. No auxiliary power was provided, the mill working by wind alone.
Clavering Mill
No details are known of this mill, although it would have had Common sails when built. It is not known whether there was a roundhouse or not.North Mill
North Mill is a five storey tower mill with a beehive cap, winded by a fantail. It had four Single Patent sails, which rotated clockwise. The Upright Shaft is wooden, as is the clasp arm Great Spur Wheel, which drove three pairs of millstones overdrift.South mill
South Mill is a four storey tower mill with a beehive cap with a gallery. It was winded by a fantail It had four Single Spring sails. The mill drove two pairs of French Burr millstones.Millers
Post- William Hill 1702
- Thomas Nottage 1802
- James Pavitt 1804 - 1845
South
- Henry Salmon 1772 - 1804
- Henry Moore 1840–1850
- William Overill 1849
- Robert Spencer 1871
- William Caton 1906 - 1919
North
- James Pavitt 1811–1845
- James Pavitt Jr 1845 - 1850
- Spencer 1879
- William Caton 1906 –
- A E Caton 1935
References for above:-
External links
- Windmill World webpage on South Mill
- Windmill World webpage on North Mill