St Leonard's Mill, Winchelsea
Encyclopedia
St Leonard's mill was a post mill
at Winchelsea
, Sussex
, England
which was blown down in the Great Storm of 1987
.
map, and was still there in 1813. By 1823 the mill had been moved to the new site, which was on the remains of St Leonard's church. An accident when fitting a new stock to the mill in 1861 resulted in the death of Benjamin King, millwright
. The mill was working until the 1890s and was derelict by the 1920s. It was repaired in 1935 and dummy sails fitted, which did not last long. The mill was again repaired in 1955. The National Trust
became custodians of the mill in 1975. In February 1978, the back of the mill was blown out in a gale. The windmill was blown down on the morning of 16 October 1987. The wreckage of the mill was still to be seen on site the following March. One of the millstones was salvaged and used in the restoration of Lowfield Heath Windmill
. The site of the windmill is now marked by Winchelsea's Millennium Beacon.
. The mill had two Spring sails
and two Common sails carried on a wooden Windshaft. The mill was the last in Sussex to retain a wooden windshaft without an iron poll end, this had been removed by 1935. Two pairs of millstone
s were arranged Head and Tail, with a third pair underdriven by a belt, this from an Upright Shaft which was driven by the tail wheel.
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...
at Winchelsea
Winchelsea
Winchelsea is a small village in East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately two miles south west of Rye and seven miles north east of Hastings...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into 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 was blown down in the Great Storm of 1987
Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
.
History
St Leonard's Mill was built in 1760, originally standing in Iham. It was shown at that site on the 1808 Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map, and was still there in 1813. By 1823 the mill had been moved to the new site, which was on the remains of St Leonard's church. An accident when fitting a new stock to the mill in 1861 resulted in the death of Benjamin King, 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 mill was working until the 1890s and was derelict by the 1920s. It was repaired in 1935 and dummy sails fitted, which did not last long. The mill was again repaired in 1955. The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
became custodians of the mill in 1975. In February 1978, the back of the mill was blown out in a gale. The windmill was blown down on the morning of 16 October 1987. The wreckage of the mill was still to be seen on site the following March. One of the millstones was salvaged and used in the restoration of Lowfield Heath Windmill
Lowfield Heath Windmill
Lowfield Heath Windmill is a grade II listed post mill at Charlwood, Surrey, England which has been restored to working order.-History:Lowfield Heath Windmill was originally built at Lowfield Heath . Its origins are uncertain, a rumour that it was moved from Hookwood in the 1760s is not borne out...
. The site of the windmill is now marked by Winchelsea's Millennium Beacon.
Description
St Leonard's Mill was a post mill with a single storey roundhouse, It was winded by a roof mounted fantailWindmill 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 mill had two Spring sails
Windmill sail
Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different designs, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails.-Jib sails:...
and two Common sails carried on a wooden Windshaft. The mill was the last in Sussex to retain a wooden windshaft without an iron poll end, this had been removed by 1935. Two 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 were arranged Head and Tail, with a third pair underdriven by a belt, this from an Upright Shaft which was driven by the tail wheel.