Herne Windmill
Encyclopedia
Herne Windmill is a Grade I listed smock mill in Herne
, Kent
, England
that was built in 1781.
millwright
. There are records of a windmill in Herne as early as 1405. The mill replaced an earlier post mill
that was standing in 1511 and was marked on Philip Symonson's map of 1596, John Speed's
map of 1611, Robert Morden's
map of 1695, Emanuel Bowen
's map of 1736 and Andrews, Drury and Herbert's map of 1769. In 1858, the mill was raised, and a two storey brick base built underneath it. A new iron
worm was fitted in 1931, replacing the old wooden one. In the 1930s, the mill was working on two sails only. Frank Wootton, the miller, sought the assistance of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
(SPAB), and after Rex Wailes
made a report on the mill, two sails from the Black Mill, Forncett End, Norfolk
were fitted by Thomas Hunt of Soham
, Cambridgeshire
in 1936. A new pair of sails was constructed by Hunt, the work being made possible by support from SPAB, the Duchess of Kent
and Trinity House
. The latter assisted as the mill was marked as a navigational landmark for shipping. The mill worked by wind until 1952, assisted latterly by a steam engine, then an oil engine. After that date, milling was done with an electric motor supplying the power. Milling continued with the electric motor until 1980.
carried on a cast iron
windshaft, housed in a Kentish style cap. The mill is winded by a fantail. There is a stage at a level between the first and second floor. The Brake Wheel is composite, with an iron centre and a wooden rim. It drives a wooden compass arm Wallower on a wooden Upright Shaft. This carries a wooden compass arm Great Spur Wheel. The mill drives three pairs of millstone
s overdrift.
New sails were fitted in 2004. These measure 33ft 3¾in (10.15m) long by 5ft 10¾in (1.80m) wide each, with a total span of 68 in 8 in (20.93 m). The work was carried out by IJP Millwrights of Binfield Heath
, Berkshire
.
References for above:-
Herne, Kent
Herne is a village in South East England, divided by the Thanet Way from the seaside resort of Herne Bay. Administratively it is in the civil parish of Herne and Broomfield in Kent. Between Herne and Broomfield is the former hamlet of Hunters Forstal; Herne Common lies to the south.The hamlet of...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, 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...
that was built in 1781.
History
Herne Windmill was built by John Holman in 1789,( John Holman was 6 years old in 1789 - what a genius!) when he was working for Sweetlove, the WinghamWingham, Kent
Wingham is a civil parish and English Kent village situated along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough to London and close to Canterbury. It has existed since the Stone Age but only became established as a village in Roman times. The Domesday book tells us that during Saxon...
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...
. There are records of a windmill in Herne as early as 1405. The mill replaced an earlier post mill
Post 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...
that was standing in 1511 and was marked on Philip Symonson's map of 1596, John Speed's
John Speed
John Speed was an English historian and cartographer.-Life:He was born at Farndon, Cheshire, and went into his father's tailoring business where he worked until he was about 50...
map of 1611, Robert Morden's
Robert Morden
Robert Morden was a British bookseller, publisher, and maker of maps and globes.He was among the first successful commercial map makers....
map of 1695, Emanuel Bowen
Emanuel Bowen
Emanuel Bowen was an English map engraver, who worked for George II of England and Louis XV of France as a geographerHe published a 'Complete Atlas of Geography,' 1744-7; an 'English Atlas, with a new set of maps,' 1745; a 'Complete Atlas .....
's map of 1736 and Andrews, Drury and Herbert's map of 1769. In 1858, the mill was raised, and a two storey brick base built underneath it. A new iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
worm was fitted in 1931, replacing the old wooden one. In the 1930s, the mill was working on two sails only. Frank Wootton, the miller, sought the assistance of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris, Philip Webb and J.J.Stevenson, and other notable members of the Pre Raphaelite brotherhood, in 1877, to oppose what they saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian...
(SPAB), and after Rex Wailes
Rex Wailes
Rex Wailes OBE, FSA, F I Mech E was an English engineer and historian who published widely on aspects of engineering history and industrial archaeology, particularly on windmills and watermills....
made a report on the mill, two sails from the Black Mill, Forncett End, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
were fitted by Thomas Hunt of 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:...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
in 1936. A new pair of sails was constructed by Hunt, the work being made possible by support from SPAB, the Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was a member of the British Royal Family; the wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck....
and Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
. The latter assisted as the mill was marked as a navigational landmark for shipping. The mill worked by wind until 1952, assisted latterly by a steam engine, then an oil engine. After that date, milling was done with an electric motor supplying the power. Milling continued with the electric motor until 1980.
Description
Herne Mill has a three storey smock on a two storey brick base. It has four double patent 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:...
carried on a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
windshaft, housed in a Kentish style cap. The mill is winded by a fantail. There is a stage at a level between the first and second floor. The Brake Wheel is composite, with an iron centre and a wooden rim. It drives a wooden compass arm Wallower on a wooden Upright Shaft. This carries a wooden compass arm Great Spur Wheel. The mill drives three pairs of millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s overdrift.
New sails were fitted in 2004. These measure 33ft 3¾in (10.15m) long by 5ft 10¾in (1.80m) wide each, with a total span of 68 in 8 in (20.93 m). The work was carried out by IJP Millwrights of Binfield Heath
Binfield Heath
Binfield Heath is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England. It is about southwest of Henley-on-Thames and about northeast of Reading, Berkshire.Until 2003, Binfield Heath and the hamlet of Crowsley were part of the civil parish of Shiplake....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Millers
- Webb
- (Job) Lawrence & Sons (John and Edward) 1795 - 1879
- John Lawrence (nephew of Job) 1763 - 1840
- Edward Lawrence 1845 -
- Thomas Wootton 1879 - 1928
- Frank Wootton
- R C & E E Wootton
- Clive Wootton 1925 - 1980
References for above:-