For over 20 years the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings has organised National Mills Weekend (formerly "National Mills Day"), a celebration of Britain's milling heritage.

Wind and water are sustainable power sources, used for hundreds of years in Britain in the production of natural food.

There are currently more than 100 working mills capable of producing natural, stoneground flour and 100 of these will be open to the public during National Mills Weekend. In addition, over the weekend, a further 300 mills throughout the country will be welcoming visitors.

SPAB's Windmill Committee was formed in 1931 in response to an alarming decline in the numbers of the country's windmills. Later it included watermills within its interests, and it "encouraged the art of country milling". Still active today the SPAB is the only national amenity society dedicated to the protection of our milling heritage.

Some working mills are more than 300 years old yet still efficiently doing the job in the 21st century that they were built and designed for.

National Mills Weekend 2009 was held on
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th May.

Some mills work as commercial businesses, while others are run by enthusiastic volunteers. Fifty years ago, the windmills and watermills of this country were thought to be in terminal decline, but now there has been a renaissance in these wonderful reminders of our past.

In Sussex, windmills and watermills have not only produced meal flour, but have made gunpowder as those at Battle, or pumped water like the Coultershaw Beam Pump that once pumped water into Petworth. Many watermills in Sussex produced a variety of products such as linseed oil, cattle cake, oil dressed leather and drove fulling stocks for fulling wool. Today in Sussex, most of those that have survived are those that produced meal flour.

In 2009, as a result of a successful two part broadcast on BBC Sussex, West Blatchington Windmill experienced the best ever numbers going through the mill and innumerable others 'milling' around outside viewing the exhibits. The radio operators made 84 contacts including 6 other mills so all in all a truly superb day.

Morris dancers at Windmill Hill Windmill   Open Day at Nutley Windmill : Photo by Nick Linazasoro

A number of amateur radio clubs are on the air on National Mills Weekend, broadcasting from mills across the country. Denby Dale Radio Club compile a list of participating radio clubs.

Details of Sussex Mills that were open to visitors on National Mills Weekend appear below. Mill owners are invited to contact us with details of their mill.
MILL	DAY	OPENING TIMES	SPECIAL EVENTS COMMENTS
Halnaker Windmill	SAT	All Day
Jill Windmill	SAT	11 am to 5 pm	Refreshments in Roundhouse Free entry and free parking
Michelham Priory Watermill	SAT	2 pm to 5 pm
Nutley Windmill	SAT	2.30 pm to 5.30 pm	Crowborough Amateur Radio Society on site both days
Stone Cross Windmill	SAT	10 am to 4 pm	Hunters Moon Morris Dancers performed
Windmill Hill Windmill	SAT	2.30 pm to 5 pm	Amateur radio station making contact with other mills worldwide
Coultershaw Beam Pump	SUN	11 am to 5 pm	Donations welcome - however small !
Halnaker Windmill	SUN	All Day
High Salvington Windmill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5 pm	Ham radio station in Roundhouse
Ifield Watermill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5 pm	The Crawley Museum's base at Goff's Park House, Crawley, was also be open 2 pm to 4 pm
Jill Windmill	SUN	11 am to 5 pm	Refreshments in Roundhouse Free entry and free parking Mid Sussex Amateur Radio Society on site
Michelham Priory Watermill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm
Nutley Windmill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5.30 pm	Crowborough Amateur Radio Society on site both days
Oldland Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm	There were a small number of the volunteers to man the site and answer questions
Polegate Windmill	SUN	11 am to 5 pm	The mill itself was closed to visitors for reasons of health and safety whilst volunteers re-adjusted the position of two sweeps, but the Museum and Education Room were open, free of charge and refreshments were available. Amateur radio contact with other mills. Long Man Morris Dancers celebrated the completion of the work at 4 p.m.
Shipley Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm	Free admission
Stone Cross Windmill	SUN	10 am to 4 pm	Long Man Morris Dancers performed
West Blatchington Windmill	SUN	11 am to 5 pm	Stationary Engines at work Burrell Gold Medal Steam Tractor Exhibit of model locos & engines from Hove Park Model Locomotive Group Amateur Radio operators broadcasting from the mill Tours of the mill Refreshments and Homemade cakes Second-hand books and jigsaw stalls
Windmill Hill Windmill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5 pm	Long Man Morris Men Amateur radio station making contact with other mills worldwide

The website of G4CDD Denby Dale Radio Club has details of Amateur Radio Stations broadcasting from Mills on National Mills weekend.

Is your Sussex Mill listed here ?

If not . . . . please click here

For further information, please visit the SPAB Mills Section website.