Skidby Windmill
Encyclopedia
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
at Skidby
Skidby
Skidby is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north west of Hull city centre and south of Beverley. It lies just to the west of the A164 road which makes it very accessible....
near Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
, in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, 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...
.
Originally built in 1821, the mill was further extended to its current 5 stories in 1870. It is powered by 4 sails, 11 metres in length, and was in commercial use until 1966. Between 1954 and 1966 the mill was used for grinding animal feedstuff using newly-installed electric rollers but also continued producing stoneground flour, too. The mill was sold to the local council in 1969 for £1 and after being renovated was opened in 1974 as a working museum. It is the last working English windmill north of the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
, producing stoneground wholemeal flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
from locally grown wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. The mill is open to visitors all week, milling takes place from Wednesday to Sunday weather permitting. Adjacent warehouses contain the Museum of East Riding Rural Life, including a famous 'Wolds Wagon' built by P.H. Sissons & Sons, which was originally lent to the Beverley Army Museum of transport. P.H. Sissons & Sons were based at Beswick and built wagons from 1854 onwards.
In 2008, work began on the mill to replace some structural members in the cap and fantail
Windmill fantail
A Fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the cap automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills...
. The work involved the 15 ton cap being removed by a crane; the only time that the cap has been removed since the 1870s.