Shiremark Mill, Capel

which was burnt down in 1972.cite web| url= http://www.windmillworld.com/uk/shiremark.htm| publisher =Windmill World| title = Shiremark Mill| accessdate= 2008-05-21]

History

"Shiremark Mill" was built in 1774, incorporating some material from a demolished open trestle post mill which had stood at Clark's Green (TQ 176 398 Coord|51.145|-0.320|display=inline|format=dms). It was so named because it stood close to the border with Sussex, and although often thought of as a Sussex mill, actually stood just within Surreycite book | last = Farries, Kenneth G and Mason, Martin T| year = 1966| title = The Windmills of Surrey and Inner London| pages = 62-69| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = London] by some convert|20|yd|m.

The mill was offered for sale in 1777, described as "new-built" and in 1802 was acquired by the Stone family, who were to work it until 1919. In 1886, the mill was tailwinded and the cap and sails were blown off. Messrs Grist and Steele, the Horsham millwrights replaced them that year. The mill worked by wind until 1919, when it was stopped on account of a defective curb.

"Shiremark Mill" slowly became derelict, an inspection by Rex Wailes in 1933 resulted in an estimated repair cost of £100. The cap boarding was repaired but the mill was again left to deteriorate. In 1950, Capel Parish Council approached the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the owner of the mill with a view to securing the mill's preservation. The mill had been listed as an antiquity by Surrey County Council by 1951. In 1952, a detailed inspection of the mill found that the sills and lower part of the cant posts were rotten. Thompson's, the Alford millwrights estimated that the mill would cose £2,500 to restore. The main beams of the first floor were supported by brick piers, but no other work was done. Although the mill had all four sails in 1928,cite web| url= http://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphoto.asp&neg=80851&collectionid=10&fpn=2077| publisher =Fancis Frith| title = Capel, Shiremark Windmill 1928| accessdate= 2008-05-21] the sails fell off one by one, with the last falling in 1956. Photographs show that the cap was intact in August 1958, but by May 1966 the roof had gone, exposing the brake wheel to the weather.cite web| url= http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/mills/mugslidesE.htm| publisher =University of Kent at Canterbury| title = TEMPLEMAN LIBRARY - The Donald W. Muggeridge Collection of Mill Photographs - COLOUR SLIDES : ENGLAND| accessdate= 2008-05-21]

Description

"Shiremark Mill" was a three storey smock mill on a single storey base. There was no stage, earth having been thrown up against the base to form a mill mound. It last worked with four double Patent sails carried on a cast iron windshaft. The cap was winded by a hand wheel.

Base

The single storey octagonal brick base was convert|8|ft|6|in|m|2 from floor level to the top of the brickwork internally. Externally it was convert|5|ft|m|2 from ground level to the top of the brickwork. Earth having been embanked against the base to allowe the sails to be reached for reefing. The mill having originally been built with Common sails. The brickwork tapered in thickness, being convert|14|in|mm|0 thick at the top. It was convert|24|ft|m|2 across the flats.

mock

The three storey smock tower rested on oak sills of convert|10|in|mm|0 by convert|6|in|mm|0 in section. The eight oak cant posts were convert|10|in|mm|0 were convert|9|in|mm|0 square and convert|21|ft|m|2 long, and carried a circular oak curb of convert|14|ft|m|2 diameter at the top. There were two sets of convert|6|in|mm|0 square oak transoms at appropriate heights which carried the joists for the internal floors. Each of the twenty-four frames was infilled with a vertical oak post convert|5|in|mm|0 square and two diagonal struts convert|5|in|mm|0 by 3½ inches (89mm) in section. On the bottom floor of the smock there were two doors on opposite sides to enable access whatever direction the sails were facing.

Internally, the bottom floor of the smock was at two levels, with a convert|4|ft|m|2 height difference. The main beams were convert|23|ft|m|2 long and convert|12|in|mm|0 square on convert|6|ft|6|in|m|2 centres. These formed the base of the Hurst Frame, a feature more commonly found in watermills than windmills. Shiremark mill is the only recorded windmill with a hurst frame south of the River Thames. A surviving windmill with a hurst frame is Chesterton Mill, Warwickshire.

Cap

The cap was convert|17|ft|m|2 by convert|14|ft|m|2 in plan, and convert|10|ft|6|in|m|2 in height above the curb. The mill was convert|40|ft|m|2 high from the ground floor to the cap ridge, thus convert|36|ft|6|in|m|2 from ground level to roof externally. The main cap frame consisted of two sheers, each convert|12|in|mm|0 square in section and convert|16|ft|m|2, set convert|10|ft|m|2 apart. The main cross members were the breast beam, the sprattle beam and the tail beam, in order from head to tail. The cross members extended each side of the sheers to form a base for the nine pairs of roof rafters. There was no ridge board to the roof.

The cap was winded by a hand wheel of convert|8|ft|m|2 diameter housed just inside the rear of the cap. The worm wheel that engaged with the cogs set into the top of the tower was latterly a cast iron one, replacing an earlier wooden one. It was necessary to pull about a ¼ mile (400m) of chain to turn the mill through 180 degrees.

ails and windshaft

The mill was built with four Common sails. After it was tailwinded in 1886, a new cap, windshaft and four double Patent sails were fitted. The sails were convert|6|ft|10|in|m|2 wide and spanned convert|60|ft|m|2. Each pair of sails was carried on a stock convert|39|ft|m|2 long and of convert|14|in|mm by convert|12|in|mm section at the canister, tapering to convert|6|in|mm square at the tips. Each stock was strengthened by a pair of clamps, convert|10|ft|m|2 long and convert|8|in|mm by convert|5|in|mm in section.

The cast iron windshaft is convert|16|ft|m|2 long overall, with a canister at the outer end to carry the stocks. It was convert|12|in|mm diameter at the neck bearing, 8½ inches (210mm) square at the boss for the brake wheel and convert|6|in|mm diameter at the tail, the tail bearing itself being convert|4|in|mm diameter. The windshaft carried a convert|9|ft|m|2 diameter clasp arm Brake wheel, which had been converted from compass arm construction, the original windshaft having been of wood. The brake wheel had 75 cogs. The windshaft from "Shiremark Mill" was used in the restoration of Ripple Mill, Ringwould, Kent in 1994.cite web| url= http://www.millsarchive.com/Kent/MillPageData/MillContainer.aspx?millID=2790| publisher =The Mills Archive Trust| title = Ripple, Ripple Mill, Smock mill, Cereal Milling| accessdate= 2008-05-21]

Machinery

The elm Upright Shaft was convert|21|ft|m|2 long It carried a cast iron Wallower convert|3|ft|mm diameter Wallower, cast in halves and having 26 teeth. It replaced an earlier wooden wheel.The underside of the wallower had a friction ring which drove the sack hoist. At the foot of the Upright Shaft, a wooden clasp arm Great Spur Wheel of convert|6|ft|6|in|m|2 diameter with 70 cogs was carried. This drove the two pairs of millstones underdrift. The French Burr stones were driven by a stone nut with 20 cogs, and the Peak stones were driven by a stone nut with 18 cogs. Each pair of millstones was controlled by its own governor, missing at the time of the survey in 1952.

Millers

*David Southow 1774 - 1777
*John Stone 1802 -
*Thomas Stone
*G Stone
*Eliza Stone
*John Chantler c1875
*William Rapley 1886
*George Stone - 1919

References for above:-

Culture and literature

Hilaire Belloc mentions "Shiremark Mill" in the preface to "The Four Men".cite web| url= http://www.morec.com/schall/2003/bellocenduring.htm| publisher =Morec.com| title = “ON THE CHARACTER OF ENDURING THINGS”| accessdate= 2008-05-21]

External links

* [http://www.windmillworld.com/millid/2587.htm Windmill World] webpage on Shiremark mill.

References