Aythorpe Roding Windmill

which has been restored to working order.

History

Aythorpe Roding Windmill stands on the site of an earlier mill which was standing in 1615. It was probably built in 1779 as witnessed by the inscription "Built 1779" on a timber in the mill. The mill was insured in 1798 for £50 and in 1805 for £140. The mill was drawn on the 1846 Tithe Map as having an open trestle. It was advertised in the "Chelmsford Chronicle" of 10 February 1860 as "for sale to be pulled down and removed by the purchaser". At some point, probably between 1860 and 1868, the mill was modernised. The Common sails were replaced by Patents; the wooden windshaft replaced by a cast iron one; the layout of the millstones changed from Head and Tail to Breast; a roundhouse was added to protect the trestle and provide storage space; a fantail was added to turn the mill to wind automatically, replacing the manual tailpole previously carried. The mill had been fitted with a fantail by 1868, and a steam engine by 1890, driving an extra pair of millstones in the roundhouse. It was working until 1937.cite book | first = Kenneth| last = Farries| year = 1985| month = | title = Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Four - A Review by Parishes, F-R| pages = p116-117| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = Edinburgh| id = ISBN 0 284 98642 9] The mill was leased by Essex County Council in 1940cite web | url = http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/guc.jsp?channelOid=15274&guideOid=26028&guideContentOid=26037| publisher = Essex County Council| title = The county mills| accessdate = 2008-05-25] Restoration by millwright Vincent Pargeter was completed in 1982. The mill ground its first grain after restoration on 3 March 1982. It was officially opened to the public by Ken Farries on 30 April 1983.

Description

"Aythorpe Roding Windmill" is a post mill with a single storey roundhouse. It has four double Patent sails carried on a cast iron Windshaft. Two pairs of millstones are located in the breast. The mill is winded by fantail. The mill is convert|44|ft|3|in|m|2 high to the roof.

Trestle and roundhouse

The crosstrees are convert|24|ft|m|2 long. The upper crosstree is convert|10|in|mm|0 square in section and the lower crosstree is convert|13|in|mm|0 by convert|12|in|mm|0. The upper crosstree is made of two pieces of timber, scarf jointed in the vertical plane, and with an iron plate bolted under the join. There is also an oak plate on one side of the crosstree, which is bolted to the crosstree, a pair of spacers being used as the scarf is within the horns of the main post. The lower crosstree bears a date of 1869, which is probably the date the roundhouse was erected. The main post is convert|20|ft|3|in|m|2 in length, and convert|30|in|mm|0 by convert|29|in|mm|0 in section at its base. It is fitted with a cast iron Samson head by Christie and Norris, the Chelmsford millwrights.cite book | first = Kenneth| last = Farries| year = 1984| month = | title = Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Two - A Technical Review| pages = p29-42| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = Edinburgh| id = ISBN 0 284 98637 2]

Body

The body of the mill measures convert|21|ft|m|2 by convert|12|ft|m|2 in plan, making this the largest post mill in Essex. The crown tree is convert|20|in|mm|0 square in section at the ends, and convert|20|in|mm|0 by convert|19|in|mm|0 at the centre.

ails and windshaft

The windshaft is of cast iron, replacing a former wooden one. It was probably secondhand when fitted as it is longer than is really necessary. The mill has four double Patent sails. The mill would originally have been built with Common sails and a wooden windshaft.

Machinery

The Brake Wheel was converted from Compass arm construction. It has a six armed cast iron centre and wooden rim and it is convert|10|ft|2|in|m|2 diameter. The mill was originally built with the millstones arranged Head and Tail, and was converted to a breast stone layout at the time the cast iron windshaft and Patent sails were fitted. The Wallower is wooden, and was secondhand when fitted to the mill, as was the cast iron Great Spur Wheel.

Millers

*William Glasscock 1615 (previous mill)
*Joshua Wright 1798
*Joseph Knight 1805
*Tabrum 1833
*Stephen Crossingham 1848 - 1850
*E P Bennett 1866
*James Webster 1874 - 1878
*Charles Large 1882
*Thomas Belsham 1890
*Ernest and JohnKnown as Jack] Belsham 1906 - 1937Reference for above:-

Public access

The mill is open to the public on the last Sunday of each month, from April to September.

Culture and Media

Aythorpe Roding Windmill appeared in an episode of The Protectors titled "Triple Cross" which was filmed in 1972.cite web|url=http://www.windmillworld.com/mills/stars.htm|title=Windmills and Watermills as stars of TV and film|publisher=Windmill World|accessdate=2008-07-19]

External links

* [http://www.windmillworld.com/millid/2393.htm Windmill World] webpage on Aythorpe Roding mill.

References