David & Margaret Clowes, former volunteers at Shipley Windmill, have moved to Lincolnshire. They advise that they have an ensuite spare room and would be delighted accommodate any molinologists wishing to visit mills in the Boston to Norwich area.
Please contact us for details or e-mail them directly at :
clowes @ dandm . wanadoo . co . uk |
NEWS ITEMS
SORTED IN DATE SEQUENCE
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Posted 28-Apr-09 Polegate sweeps up - May 2009
Polegate Windmill volunteers will be making a double effort to raise the sweeps of their mill on the first two Sundays in May.
Volunteers are planning to hoist the two repaired and repainted sweeps into place on the May Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May 2009. They plan to raise the sweeps by winch and are looking for two strong persons to join the team and assist in the work.
Similar work will take place on Sunday 10th May when the team will be celebrating National Mills Weekend by re-adjusting the position of the second pair of sweeps, thus completing the major part of the refitting of the sweeps. It is hoped that the Long Man Morris Dancers will celebrate the completion of the work at 4 p.m.
During each of the days, the mill itself will be closed to visitors for reasons of health and safety, but the Museum and Education Room will be open, free of charge and refreshments will be available.
The work may be watched from outside of the mill plat and visitors are invited to take part in a Photographic Competition recording the two days of work at the mill. The competition is open to participants of any age and pictures may be of any size and there is no limit to the number of entries per person. The photographs should be brought to the mill by Sunday 31st May 2009 and all entries will be displayed in the Education Room until Sunday 28th June 2009.
Contact : Lawrence Stevens, Clerk of Works, Tel: 01323 734496
Update 27/5/09: One sweep needed repair and, weather permitting, is scheduled for fitting on Sunday 28th June 2009.
Posted 29-Mar-09 Shipley Windmill open for free - but only till July
Shipley Windmill will open its doors for what is likely to be its last season on April 5th.
But if you want to visit the windmill you'd better hurry, as the windmill will close after July, when the Trust which runs it will be handing the mill back to its owner.
Shipley Windmill Charitable Trust and the Friends of Shipley Windmill have
maintained the mill in working condition for the last 22 years, with the
support of many willing volunteers; but its lease has only another three years to run, and the Trust is not able to get grants for urgent repairs from bodies like English Heritage and the Lottery without a longer lease.
"As our landlord is not prepared to renew the lease, we have no alternative but to close the mill and hand it back to him in July" said Trust Chairman Jim Woodward-Nutt. "The importance of the mill is recognised by its being a grade two-star listed building, and it is vital that its future is assured for future generations to be able to view and to visit."
"We removed one pair of sweeps - the sails of the windmill - last summer, but found that they need completely rebuilding, together with the other pair. Other repairs and repainting are needed urgently, and we just do not have the money, and cannot get grants due to the short remaining length of the lease."
As this is expected to be the last season that the mill is open, the Trustees have decided that they will not charge for admission to the mill.
The windmill will be open on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from April 5th until 19th July. Opening hours will be from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Please contact us with your comments
Update : 16th April 2009
Those who don't read the Guardian may well have missed the item in Duncan Campbell's Diary column yesterday, which read as follows:
'Hilaire Belloc was famous for his Cautionary Tales. Were he still with us, he might have come up with a poem about the difficulties presented by autocues on busy news days. On Wednesday, Sally Taylor, of BBC South Today, introduced an item about the closure of Shipley Windmill in Sussex, describing it as "once the home of the famous poet, Hilaire Bollock".
No further comment is necessary.
Posted 11-Feb-09 Off-season work at Ifield Watermill
Neil Olsen reports :
Winter temperatures restrict major projects but work has continued quietly on
other tasks in and around Ifield. On top of regular grounds maintenance, the
steep outer banks of the Hammerpond have been cleared of overgrowing brambles
and weed/soil encroachment onto the approach road has been cut back. Steps are
being cut into the bank to improve access, and surplus wood has been cleared
from the site.
A Memorial Hornbeam tree was planted in memory of our friend Ken Clements who
passed away recently. Hornbeam was a favourite wood of Ken’s to work and we
hope that in the distant future the tree will provide a source of wood for small
repairs to the mill.
Inside, small exhibits such as a Mitchell domestic Wringer and a Tylor Hand Pump
have been restored. We hope to plumb in the pump for demonstration purposes. A larger project is the reassembly of a salvaged Bucket Elevator, which could be
used to raise grain from the stones floor to the loft store. We don’t know if
such a device ever existed at Ifield but it will make a useful addition to our
milling exhibits. The plan is drive it off an old low-speed electric motor.
Posted 31-Dec-08 Christmas Fund Raising
A number of mills in Sussex held fund raising events over the Christmas period. These included carol services at West Blatchington, High Salvington and Stone Cross Windmills as well as an Open Day at Jill Windmill.
Jeff Best reports that the carol singers around the bonfire at High Salvington Windmill on 19th December collected £419.29 for St. Barnabas Hospice and Chestnut Tree House.
Posted 30-Oct-08 Listings of Sussex Windmills
There are draft listings of Windmills in Sussex, that have been uploaded by Michael Roots onto the Wikipedia website.
Michael would appreciate comments on the lists, in particular any errors or omissions, so please do contact us or Michael with your comments
Click here for East Sussex Windmills and here for West Sussex Windmills
Posted 25-Oct-08 Oldland Windmill grinds flour
On Thursday 23 October, after many years of restoration, flour flowed from the millstones for the first time in around 100 years.
Click here to visit Oldland Windmill's website
Posted 9-Jul-08 Proposal to demolish the remains of Bexhill Downs Windmill
Following the application, an appeal was made to the Planning Inspectorate in respect of the earlier decision about Bexhill Down Windmill remains. The deadline for comments on this appeal was 23rd July 2008
Posted 14-May-08 Jack and Jill Windmills Society awarded
On Saturday 10th May 2008 (during National Mills Weekend) Jack and Jill Windmills Society was presented with a plaque by the Mills Section of SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings). This is the second major award made to the Society, for in 1986 it received the Dorothea Award for Conservation.
Please click here for further details.
Posted 13-Apr-08 Ifield Mill update
Neil Olsen advises that the recent long restoration programme at
Ifield Mill is
drawing to the conclusion of an important phase, which culminates with
the
re-starting of the new metal wheel (new cast-iron rims and steel
buckets / backing). Other important work, such as the repointing of the
reservoir
wall face has been carried out, and the site landscaping are
continuing.
Some dredging of the Hammerpond is under consideration to improve the
hydrodynamics, hence oxygenation, of the pond, creating better
conditions for a
more diverse, healthier ecosystem.
Despite being in a fair condition it was decided to replace old wooden launder
(water chute) with a new steel construction which has some adjustment
built in
to control the fall of water onto the overshot wheel - the old wooden
launder
did not have this facility. Refitting the launder should be done by
the
millwrights before final
painting, sealing and tests.
We're still on schedule for our official re-opening on National Mills
Day!
Posted 10-Jan-08 Proposal to demolish Argos Hill Windmill Wealden District Council held a meeting on Monday 14th January at which they proposed to demolish Argos Hill Windmill and to put her in storage.
Please click here for further details.
Posted 5-Oct-07 Proposed online mill resource
There is a proposal to create an online collection of the windmill memorabilia of the late Frank Gregory.
Peter Hill, Chairman of Sussex Mills Group writes :-
Frank Gregory was a remarkable man, whose knowledge of mills was truly encyclopaedic both regarding their history and their intricate, and at times, complex construction. This he was always willing to share with those who sought it and throughout Sussex many mills owe their restoration to his expertise. It is unquestionably thanks to him that we have so many fine examples of this aspect of our Industrial Heritage, a fact which is gratefully acknowledged not least of all by the many schools who are able to use these mills for educational projects.
It was to Frank that we at West Blatchington Windmill continually turned when we undertook the restoration project back in 1977 and for me to have him as my mentor was akin to having an apprentice master. Not only would he give advice as to how a particular job should be tackled but also in many instances he would roll up his sleeves and willingly set-to. We spent an uncountable number of hours of our spare time working to restore the mill and to create what is considered to be one of the finest mill museums in the country.
His enthusiasm in the continual quest to preserve mills was tireless and when not physically working on a project he would be out photographing and recording the mills for posterity. His collection of artefacts, memorabilia and, in particular, pictorial records (both photographic and sketched) was unequalled. On his demise this was duly 'boxed up' and deposited at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, where it has remained inaccessible ever since. This is such a travesty as much of the collection is unique and should be made available to the public not only just for the casual observer but also more importantly for the dedicated researchers.
The proposal to create an online collection of Frank's memorabilia will undoubtedly be a great undertaking and will entail a tremendous amount of time and effort to catalogue this incredible source of information, but once completed it will be a wonderful resource for future generations of mill enthusiasts.
Please contact us for further information on this proposal.
Posted 21-Dec-06: Oldland Windmill
The Oldland Mill Trust has announced the winners of the sealed bid for the last mill shutter.
Click here for details.
Posted 21-Dec-06: Ashcombe Mill, Lewes - Site Survey
Members of both Sussex Mills Group and Lewes Archaeology Society have carried out a survey of the site. A number of artefacts from the original mill, including shutter pivots, and millstone fragments were found.
Ashcombe post mill, the only mill in Sussex to have had six sweeps, was blown down in a gale in March 1916. Click here for updates
Posted 10-Dec-06: Training for potential Millwrights
- 2007 William Morris Craft Fellowships
"There is no formal professional training available for millwrights . . . but there is a growing realisation of the need for organised training while there still exist experienced specialist millwrights who can pass on their knowledge" [Martin Watts - November 2004]
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings believes that the William Morris Craft Fellowship, the advanced training scheme it runs for historic building craftsmen, could provide the ideal means for training potential millwrights.
SPAB's Mills Section is the national authority on mills, and its expert millwrights and millers would provide the specialist technical element of the training.
Briefly the Fellowship consists of six-months training - in three blocks of two months (full-time). It is entirely practical; there are very few lectures.
For the first two blocks the Fellows travel throughout the UK meeting contractors, craftsmen and women, building professionals and consultants on site. They see and discuss every kind of building material, its decay and its repair. The history of vernacular and polite architecture and industrial archaeology are covered and most importantly, the philosophy of conservative repair.
The final block is devoted to each individual Fellow's career, and at this point the potential millwright would work alongside professional millwrights and millers.
SPAB has been promised funding to offer a Millwright Fellowship in 2007 - as a pilot for a more long-term scheme, so are urgently looking for candidates, who should have a keen interest in old buildings generally and mills in particular. They need to be practically minded, observant, and physically fit (the Fellowship is hard work, mentally and physically). The closing date is 1st January and interviews will be held in London at the beginning of February.
Further details are available from Rachel Bower (rachel@spab.org.uk) or Simon Hudson (simon@spab.org.uk). Please mention Sussex Mills Group when you contact them.
Posted 2-Jul-06: OLDLAND WINDMILL
Work on the new Sweeps is progressing well. It is hoped that one Sweep will be on site at the next Open Day on Sunday 9th July 2006.
Please can you help Oldland Mill Trust to identify the mill in a painting which was shown to them by George Jones at Hassocks Village Market and was later shown at the AGM of The Jack and Jill Windmills Society. As there are doubts as to whether the mill depicted is Oldland Windmill, they would very much welcome your thoughts as to the mill's identity and location. Please click here for further details.
Posted 7-Mar-06: "MOSTLY-SUSSEX" MILLS GROUP
Members of Sussex Mills Group ventured across the border into rural Surrey to assist with excavating infill from the brick base of Ockley Windmill.
Click here for further details.
Posted 24-Feb-06: HIGH SALVINGTON WINDMILL
The Directors of High Salvington Mill Trust Limited held a public meeting on Wednesday 22nd February 2006 to discuss the future maintenance and management of the windmill, the site and the buildings it currently contained.
Following the meeting, at which 23 new volunteers came forward, the Trust issued a press release, which has been posted on their website.
Posted 4-Dec-05: OLDLAND WINDMILL
A "mystery grinder" has been donated to Oldland Mill Trust.
They would like to identify the grinder.
Click here for further information and photographs.
Posted 21-Oct-05: WINDMILL HILL WINDMILL
Brian Holdstock reports on behalf of the Windmill Hill Windmill Trust that the millwrights are planning hang the Sweeps soon.
The plan is to bring the Sweeps to site and then to wait for a "window in the weather" to hang them.
Update 25/11/05 :
Work began on Thursday 24th November.
Problems arose with the fitting of the second Stock.
It would appear that the Stock design did not take account of the taper within the Canister.
Click here for photographs.
Posted 2-Oct-05: BARNHAM WINDMILL
At the Sussex Mills Group Committee Meeting on September 30th, Barry Lee advised that legal problems have arisen since the lease terminated in February 2005 and the decision was made to close the mill and tea rooms until these problems can be resolved.
Currently there is rot under the cast iron ring on a five foot section of timber, which has compressed, causing the cap to drop and putting the worm drive out of mesh.
Posted 7-Aug-05: PARK MILL, BATEMANS
Volunteer miller Alan Wilmshurst reports that mill is working again. They are still awaiting the new penstock sluicegate, but they have been able to work using the pond sluicegate. They milled for 2½ hours on Saturday 30th July, and were very pleased with the result. The mill ran very smoothly, and the new waterwheel seems much more efficient.
Their main difficulty now is water (or rather the shortage of it). They were waiting to see how well the pond fills up after Saturday's milling.
PREVIOUS REPORT : Posted 9-Jun-05
Volunteer miller Alan Wilmshurst reports that work on the mill has commenced. The new waterwheel is now being installed. It is made in French Oak, and to a genuine 18th century design. Because of the proximity of Kipling's turbine and the difficulty of access, the wheel was made in two parts and is being assembled around the axle-tree.
The tun has been removed to have its walls renewed, and the vertical shaft, which was quite out of the vertical, is being trued up. The dressing of the stones has not yet started.
Update 3-Jul-05
The waterwheel has now been fixed in position, and the casing of the pentrough and penstock installed.
See previous news item posted 30-Jan-05
Posted 11-Jul-05: Brothers awarded Dusty Miller 'silver' badges
 The badges were presented to James and Toby Linazasoro by Simon Potter on behalf of Sussex Mills Group. The presentation was made at Jill Windmill, Clayton. |
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James and Toby Linazasoro from Seaford were presented with our limited-edition silver coloured badges as part of the Sussex Mills Group Dusty Miller Passport Scheme, which is
principally aimed at encouraging young people to develop an interest in windmills and watermills across the counties of East and West Sussex.
In order to qualify for a 'silver' badge and to receive Sussex Mills Group newsletters for a year, Dusty Miller Passports must be stamped by at least twelve of the Sussex mills in the scheme. Undaunted, James, Toby and father Nick managed to get stamps from every single one of the participating Sussex Mills.
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Posted 21-May-05: WINDMILL HILL WINDMILL
Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor, loaned to the Jack and Jill Windmills Society in the early 1980s, was collected today by members of the Windmill Hill Windmill Trust.
The Governor will be installed in Windmill Hill post mill at Herstmonceux.
Click here for further details of Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor
Posted 26-Apr-05: MARK CROSS WINDMILL
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Andy Booty has advised that there are long term plans to replace the hood, sweeps and fan of this tile-hung tower mill.
Before a fire in 1911 this five floor brick tower was crowned with a Kentish hood, a fantail and patent sweeps.
The intention is that the sweeps and hood should look like the original, using modern materials, but that neither should rotate. The building will ideally be used as an observatory.
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Click here to visit the Mark Cross Windmill web site.
Posted 30-Jan-05: PARK MILL, BATEMANS
Volunteer miller Alan Wilmshurst has good news to report at last.
[See previous news item posted on 31st May 2004]
[See update posted on 9th June 2005]
The National Trust has now approved all the works needed. The volunteers have been told that the restoration will be completed by April 1st. (Let's hope that date is not significant !)
[Update 24/4/05 - The work is due commence on May 2nd]
The mill is having a new waterwheel, new pentrough, sluice gates and a brake.
(Alan doesn't yet know how they are fitting a brake, but Health
& Safety have insisted on one.) Also the tun is to be repaired
and the millstones dressed.
Alan has asked to be notified when the work actually starts on site, but has not yet been told.
The volunteers will have to re-commission the mill when it is handed over, but if all goes according to plan they hope to start milling again soon after April 1st. Click here for details of the Park Mill, Batemans and a photograph of the old waterwheel and pentrough.
Posted 27-Jan-05: WINDMILL HILL WINDMILL
The Eastbourne Today web site reports that the wrappings have finally come off this historic windmill.
When the mill is up and running, she will be moved into the wind to keep the sweeps turning. Bee Frost from the Windmill Hill Trust says "It has solar panels on the roof and a wind generator which will power batteries to keep the mill turning. This is a prototype device that has never been used before."
Click here for the full story.
Posted 19-Jan-05: SPAB PLAQUE FOR STONE CROSS WINDMILL
The Mills Section of SPAB has presented a prestigious SPAB plaque to Stone Cross Windmill Trust in recognition of their sterling work to bring her back to working order. The presentation was made by Mildred Cookson to John Hone, the Trust's Chairman.
Click here for the story.
Posted 17-Jan-05: 3D WINDMILL MODELS
Tony Pick is creating a series of 3D computer models of Sussex Windmills as add-on software, designed to work with versions of the Microsoft® Flight Simulator 2002 and 2004. Click here for further details.
Posted 5-Dec-04: MEDMERRY WINDMILL
John Bunn, the owner of Medmerry Windmill in Selsey advises that he is on the verge of creating 'Friends of Medmerry Mill'.
Pledges have been received for materials to rebuild the interior levels.
The mill sustained very serious damage in 1987 and although the sweeps have been renovated, the whole structure is in need of work.
Sussex Mills Group are advising Mr Bunn on fund raising, grant sources and the formation of 'friends'.
Posted 22-Nov-04: OLDLAND WINDMILL
The Friends of Oldland Mill, Keymer have been awarded a major restoration grant by DEFRA.
The grant for just over £62,000 will enable the sweeps to be rebuilt and critical weatherproofing of the mill, including replacing the skirt around the mill body, to be completed. In addition, the two pairs of millstones will be redressed and reset within the body of the mill, the brake and tail wheels rebuilt and refitted to the windshaft, and the roundhouse floor to be resurfaced.
Click here for further details.
BOOKS ON WINDMILLS
Windmills At Work In East Sussex compiled by Brigid Chapman from the research material of Maurice Lawson Finch.
The companion volume, featuring Windmills in West Sussex, has
also been published.
Click here for further details.
Posted 23-Oct-04: 2005 MILL CALENDAR
The "Old Mill" 2005 calendar, published by Willow Creek Press in association with The Society for the Preservation of Old Mills featured both Jill Windmill and Polegate Windmill
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Posted 10-Oct-04: SHIPLEY WINDMILL
One of the smoothest operations I have seen took place recently when two of Shipley's 34ft sweeps were replaced, together with a new 42 ft stock.
Click here for report and photograph
Posted 17-Sep-04: WINDMILL HILL WINDMILL
In early September 2004 the restored buck of Windmill Hill Windmill, Herstmonceux was lifted back onto the post.
Click here for report and photographs
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Posted 31-May-04: PARK MILL, BATEMANS
Volunteer miller Alan Wilmshurst advises that Park Mill is at present unable to grind.
"I'm afraid I have rather bad news. We have now had the mill inspected, and have been stopped from milling on Health & Safety grounds.
Apparently the water wheel needs replacing, and they have also condemned the pentrough and associated sluice-gates as unsafe and a hazard. Also because of recent H&S rules the work will entail erecting scaffolding, and the total cost will be quite huge.
As a result, the National Trust have now asked for detailed estimates, and are going to investigate means of funding. They now envisage doing the work during the next winter, provided the funding is agreed. So milling is out for this year, I'm afraid. We, of course, are gutted, but in the face of officialdom what can one do?
The mill is still open for visitors, but we will be unable to mill, just spend our time explaining to disappointed visitors why they can't see it working or buy flour. "
Previous report on 13-Apr-04 "The waterwheel started wobbling last week because some wedges fell out, but when we had inspected it we were told that the clasp-arms were unsafe and we should not grind until they had been repaired. We are awaiting a report and estimate. Following current Health & Safety regulations, the National Trust insist that work of this nature is done professionally".
"It is most frustrating, especially after we were down so long recently while the pond was being repaired."
[See update posted on 30th January 2005]
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Posted 20-Mar-04: WINDMILL HILL WINDMILL
The largest single windmill project in the last 150 years . . .
Click here
Posted 29-Feb-04: WINDMILL HILL WINDMILL
An 18 page report has been prepared by IJP Building Conservation Ltd on how to balance structural integrity, stability and safety with the need to conserve historic fabric and detail.
The first conclusion to be reached from a 3D solid CAD model of the mill was just how vulnerable a post mill can be to the failure of a single "critical" component which can lead to instant destruction of the whole mill.
There are typically eight critical components whose failure could lead to disproportionate collapse (the two cross trees, the four quarter bars, the main post and the crown tree).
Further conclusions relate to just how far the technology was being pushed at the original time of construction and that several timbers were found to be operating beyond their allowable stress levels.
Posted 23-Nov-03: ARGOS HILL WINDMILL
Argos Hill Windmill Society have been banned from working on the
mill themselves due to her dangerous state ...
An impending planning application for a neighbouring property is also
threatening the mill's outlook ... Click Here
Exasperated windmill enthusiasts in Mayfield fear they could lose part of their skyline ...
The windmill is currently on the English Heritage list of buildings at risk of total dilapidation ... Click Here
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