West Blatchington Windmill

West Blatchington Windmill

The mill in 2002
Origin
Mill name West Blatchington Mill
Mill location TQ 279 068
50°50′49″N 0°11′06″W / 50.847°N 0.185°W / 50.847; -0.185
Operator(s) Friends of Blatchington Windmill
Year built c1820
Information
Purpose Corn mill
Type Smock mill
Storeys Three-storey smock
Base storeys Three-storey base
Smock sides Six sides
Number of sails Four sails
Type of sails Patent sails
Windshaft Cast iron
Winding Fantail
Number of pairs of millstones Two pairs

West Blatchington Windmill is a Grade II* listed[1] smock mill at West Blatchington, Brighton and Hove, in the historic county of Sussex, England which has been restored and is open to the public.

History

West Blatchington Windmill was built in the 1820s, first appearing on Greenwood's map of 1823. It was painted by John Constable in 1825. The mill is hexagonal in plan, whereas most smock mills are octagonal. She was working until 1897, when two sails were damaged. In 1937, the mill was acquired from the Marquess of Abergavenny by Hove Corporation, and has been maintained as a landmark. Repairs were done to the mill by Neve's, the Heathfield millwrights in 1937.[2]

The windmill was listed at Grade II* on 24 March 1950.[1] As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.[3] On 7 May 2015, the windmill was a Polling station for the Hove Constituency in the general election.[4]

Description

For an explanation of the various pieces of machinery, see Mill machinery.

As built, West Blatchington Windmill is a three-storey smock mill on a three-storey brick base, with a stage at third-floor level. In 1825 she had four Common sails but latterly was worked with four Patent sails. These were carried on a cast-iron Windshaft, mounted on a cross, similar to the Lincolnshire practice. The mill is fitted with Holloway's screw brake. The cap is in the Kentish style, winded by a fantail. The mill drove two pairs of underdrift millstones. The mill stood at the junction of three barns, one of the original barns remains standing today,[2] and one of the others was replaced with a new build barn in 1997.[5] Most of the machinery was removed in 1937, leaving the Brake Wheel and Upright Shaft.[2]

These four watercolours were painted in 1937 by R Jameson. At the time the mill was on a farm that was being run by tenant farmers Arthur and Helen Paul.

Millers

References for above:-[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Detailed Record: West Blatchington Windmill, Holmes Avenue, Hove". Images of England. English Heritage. 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Brunnarius, Martin (1979). The Windmills of Sussex. Chichester: Philimore. pp. 68–71, 83, 190. ISBN 0-85033-345-8.
  3. ↑ "Images of England — Statistics by County (East Sussex)". Images of England. English Heritage. 2007. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Crossley, Lucy. "Now that's the dog's ballots: Voters turn up to polling stations around the country, including a windmill, launderette and even someone's front room, with their pooches in tow". Daily Mail. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Mill's Recent History". Brighton & Hove Museums. Retrieved 2008-05-11.

Further reading

Hemming, Peter (1936). Windmills in Sussex. London: C W Daniel.  Online version

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