The Post Mill was probably the first type of windmill to be built.

The main body or 'buck' of a Post Mill is built around a centre post upon which it pivots. The post is supported by cross trees which are themselves usually built on brick piers.

      

Pictured above is the centre post at Ringmer in East Sussex and Nutley Windmill - an open-trestle Post Mill.

It was quite common for a Post Mill to move to a new location.

The picture above shows a Brighton Post Mill being moved by 86 oxen from Regency Square to Preston (a distance of two miles) on 28th March 1797.

Click here for an enlargement of the scale drawings.

A windmill is only effective when her sweeps are facing the wind, and the miller would achieve this by putting his weight against the tailpole and turning the mill body.

   

In latter years a fantail was fitted to the end of the tailpole, and the wind blowing on the Fanblades automatically brought the sweeps into wind.
The above photographs show a Post Mill with and without a fantail [ Jill Windmill and High Salvington Windmill respectively].

The Language Of The Sweeps
The "celebrating" position indicates that the miller's family have something to celebrate, for example, a wedding or a birth. In this position [on sweeps that rotate anti-clockwise when viewed from the front] , the approaching (descending) sweep is stopped just before it reaches its lowest point. The fact that the sweep is "approaching" symbolises the joy and expectation.
Back Soon	Mourning	Celebrating	Gone Away
The "mourning" position indicates sadness and mourning. In this case, the departing sweep is stopped just after it leaves its lowest point. The fact that the sweep is "departing" expresses mortality and sadness.