Duck End Mill, Finchingfield

Finchingfield Mill
The restored mill, January 2008
Origin
Mill name	Duck End Mill Letch's Mill
Mill location	TL 687 329 51°58′08″N 0°27′14″E / 51.969°N 0.454°E / 51.969; 0.454)
Operator(s)	Essex County Council
Year built	Mic C18th
Information
Purpose	Corn mill
Type	Post mill
Roundhouse storeys	Single storey roundhouse
Number of sails	Four sails
Type of sails	Spring sails
Windshaft	Wood
Winding	Tailpole
Number of pairs of millstones	One pair

Duck End Mill or Letch's Mill is a grade II listed^[1] Post mill at Finchingfield, Essex, England which has been restored.

History

Duck End Mill was built in the mid eighteenth century, dates of 1756, 1760 1773 and 1777 being recorded in the mill. It was originally built as an open trestle mill, the roundhouse being added in 1840. The mill was insured for £50 in 1790 and £100 in 1794. The mill was working until c1890, and had an all wood windshaft to the last. This was replaced by the cast iron one from Gainsford End Mill, Toppesfield in the 1950s.^[2] A replacement wooden windshaft has since been fitted.^[3]

Description

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

Duck End Mill is a post mill with a single storey roundhouse. The mill is winded by a tailpole. It has four Spring sails. There was one pair of millstones, driven by an 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) Brake Wheel. The body of the mill measures 16 feet 6 inches (5.03 m) by 10 feet (3.05 m) in plan.^[2]

Millers

• Samuel Stammers 1790 - 1807
• Edward Stammers 1807 - 1817
• Edward Letch 1817 - 1852
• Edward Letch Jr 1852 -
• Andrew Luke Letch -1890

References for above:-^[2]

Public access

The mill is open to the public on the one Sunday of each month in the summer.^[3]

External links

• Windmill World webpage on Duck End Mill.

References

1. ^ "THE WINDMILL, DUCK END (east side), FINCHINGFIELD, BRAINTREE, ESSEX". English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=2&id=115181. Retrieved 2008-05-29. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Farries, Kenneth (1985). Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Four- A Review by Parishes, F-R. Edinburgh: Charles Skilton. pp. p15–16. ISBN 0-284-98642-9. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "The county mills". Essex County Council. http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/guc.jsp?channelOid=15274&guideOid=26028&guideContentOid=26037. Retrieved 2008-05-29.