Wimbledon Windmill

Wimbledon Windmill (TQ 230 725 Coord|51.438|-0.232|display=inline|format=dms) is a grade II* listedcite web| url= http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=2&id=205200| publisher =English Heritage| title = THE OLD WINDMILL, WINDMILL ROAD SW19 (north side), WIMBLEDON, MERTON, GREATER LONDON| accessdate= 2008-07-21] windmill situated on Wimbledon Common in the London Borough of Merton (originally in Surrey), in the west of South London which is preserved as a museum.

History

An application to build a windmill on the Common was denied in 1799 when the applicant, one John Watney, failed to produce plans for the proposed mill when requested. In 1816, Charles March, a carpenter of Roehampton applied for permission to build a windmill. The request was granted the following year and the mill was built. The mill stopped working in 1864, due to a land-dispute.cite web|url=http://www.wpcc.org.uk/windmill.html|publisher=Wimbledon and Putney Commons|title=Windmill and Museum|access date=2008-07-24] In 1892, tenders for the repair of the mill were sought by the Common Conservators, and Messrs. Sanderson & Sons tender of £240 was accepted. The Royal Windmill Golf Club contributed £50 towards the cost of the repairs. During repairs, it was discovered that the main Post and Crosstrees were rotten and Sandersons proposed converting the mill to a smock mill, at a total cost of £350. The work was reported as being complete in November 1893. The base of the mill was converted into six apartments for use by the Common Keepers. The original Patent sails were replaced by a shorter set of sails with fixed shutters. After the loss of a sail in the 1920s another set of sails with fewer shutters was placed on the mill. During World War Two, the mill was camouflaged with a drab green scheme to reduce its visibility as it was in close proximity to army camps set up on the Common. The mill was repainted after the war ended but the sails were stopped in 1946 due to excessive wear in the gearing. In 1952, the mill was inspected and a list of repairs drawn up. After a public appeal in 1954 to raise funds, the mill was restored and the sails turned again on May 25 1957. The mill was restored again in 1975 and turned into a museum. In 1999 a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled the Patent sails to be restored to working order.cite web| url= http://www.wimbledonwindmillmuseum.org.uk/history4.htm| publisher =Wimbledon Windmill Museum| title = Windmill history| accessdate= 2008-07-24] One of the smaller apartments is preserved within the current museum. It is no longer a working mill, but the mill machinery is still largely intact. cite book | first = | last = Farries, K G and Mason, M T| year = 1966| month = | title = The Windmills of Surrey and Inner London| pages = p226 - 231| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = London]

Description

"Wimbledon Windmill" was built as a hollow post mill, with the drive to the stones passing through the centre of the main post. It was a hollow post mill for it's entire working life, but was rebuilt as a smock mill when it was preserved in 1893. The mill has double Patent sails and is winded by a fantail. The windmill has an octagonal brick base of two stories, above which is a conical tower formerly housing the main post. The cast iron windshaft carries four double Patent sails, and a convert|6|ft|m|2 diameter cast iron Brake Wheel with about 60 wooden cogs, which formerly drove the cast iron Wallower carried on a cast iron Upright Shaft. A Spur Wheel at the lower end of the upright shaft would have driven the millstones in the base of the mill. The conversion from Hollow Post mill to a Smock mill was done by Sanderson's, the Louth millwrights.

Millers

*Dann - 1840
*A Halloway - 1858.
*John Marsh - 1860sReferences for above:-

Culture and Media

The Mill House of "Wimbledon Windmill" is where Robert Baden-Powell stayed in 1902 and wrote parts of "Scouting for Boys", which was published in 1908. Wimbledon Windmill also featured in the Doctor Who episode titled "The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (Bell of Doom)" which was filmed in 1966.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]

Public access

The windmill is now a museum, detailing its own history, as well as the history of windmills in general. The museum is open at weekends and Bank Holidays from March to October. It features interactive exhibits, such as push-button models and grain-grinding activities, in addition to visitors being able to explore the layout and use of the actual mill. There is a cafe, and the windmill is situated on the Common adjacent to both open spaces and woodland.

External links

* [http://www.windmillworld.com/millid/2598.htm Windmill World] page on Wimbledon windmill.

References