Shirley Windmill

Shirley Windmill (TQ 355 652 Coord|51.370|-0.055|display=inline|format=dms) is a Grade II listedcite web | url = http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=201262 | publisher = English Heritage | title = SHIRLEY WINDMILL, UPPER SHIRLEY ROAD, CROYDON, CROYDON, GREATER LONDON| accessdate = 2007-04-23] tower mill in Shirley, in the London Borough of Croydon, England which has been restored to working order.

History

"Shirley Windmill" was built by Richard Alwen in 1854 to replace the former post mill destroyed by fire. The post mill had been built in 1809 by Richard Alwen (Sr) and passed to Alwen on the death of his father in 1846. The post mill burnt down in October 1854.cite book | last = Farries, Kenneth G and Mason, Martin T| year = 1966| title = The Windmills of Surrey and Inner London| pages = p199-202| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = London]

The mill is thought to have been brought from Stratford and re-erected This would be the machinery (possibly including the cap, sails and main floor beams) in the case of a tower mill, another example of this was Pratt's Mill, Crowborough where the machinery from Calverley Mill, Tunbridge Wells was installed. The mill in Stratford, assuming the London one is correct, has not been identified.] A date of 1740 on a beam in the windmill is evidence of re-use of materials from elsewhere. Another version is that the post mill had been brought from Stratford. The mill cost £2,000 to build.

Richard Alwen died in 1884,and the mill was taken by Thomas Dives, grandson of Richard Alwen Sr. The mill was abandoned in 1892 as unviable by Alfred Rayson, at the time being only used for grinding animal feed. The windmill was struck by lightning in 1899cite web|url=http://www.windmillworld.com/news/archive4.htm#78| title= New guidebook to Shirley Windmill |publisher= Windmill World| accessdate=2008-05-22] cite book | first = George | last = Arthur | year = | month = | title = London's Industrial Archaeology, No 3| chapter = Windmills in Greater London| publisher = Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society| location = London| id = ISBN ] . and again in April 1906, when a was sail set on fire, but the local fire brigade managed to save the mill. The mill was restored in 1927 and in 1935 one of the sails was blown off. The mill was again renovated, and a new Great Spur Wheel fitted by Messrs Lister Bros, of Woolwich. New sails were fitted by Thomas Hunt, the Soham millwright. There was a Court case following the renovations, in which it was stated the windmill was "almost in working order".

The windmill was listed in 1951, it was probably the last large windmill to be built in Surrey. In 1952 the mill and land were acquired by the Croydon Corporation. The mill was threatened with demolition when the new John Ruskin School was built but it was protected by its listed status and strong public interest. An inspection of the structure found that it was in generally good condition, but recommended that the first floor doorway be unblocked to allow better circulation of air to prevent rot. During excavations for the foundations of the new school, two trade tokens were found, relating to the smock mill at Appledore, Kent.

On 1 April 1971, the mill was advertised for sale in the The Times as an April Fool's Day joke by pupils at the school. The headmaster received four telephone calls as a result of the prank.cite web|url=http://www.mel-lambert.com/Ruskin/News/News_Archive/JRGS02A_News_Archive99.htm#The_Croydon_Advertiser| title= A clipping from "The Croydon Advertiser," imaged by Dave Anderson ... |publisher= JRGS Alumni Society| accessdate=2008-05-22] The school moved to a new site, and the school buildings were demolished. In August 1996, it was announced that the London Borough of Croydon was to receive a grant of £218,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to turn the mill into a museum.cite web|url=http://www.mel-lambert.com/Ruskin/Miscellaneous/JRGS09_Windmill.htm| title= A Famous Landmark: The Windmill |publisher= JRGS Alumni Society| accessdate=2008-05-22] In September 2004, Croydon Borough Council agreed to fund external repairs to the windmill, the work being scheduled for the following spring.cite web|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.531551.0.windmill_to_be_repaired.php| title= Windmill to be repaired |publisher= Croydon Guardian| accessdate=2008-05-22]

Description

"Shirley Windmill" is a five storey brick tower mill. It has four double Patent sails carried on a cast iron windshaft. The Kentish style cap is winded by a fantail. The tower is convert|21|ft|m|2 diameter at the base and convert|11|ft|m|2 diameter at the curb. The mill is convert|55|ft|m|2 high to the top of the cap.

The iron Brake Wheel is convert|9|ft|3|in|m|2 diameter and has 172 cogs. It drives an iron Wallower of convert|4|ft|m|2 diameter with 75 teeth. The cast iron Upright Shaft is convert|25|ft|m|2 long and has a dog clutch just below its mid point, to allow the mill to be driven by engine without working the sails. The Great Spur Wheel is of iron, with wooden teeth, and drove two pairs of underdrift millstones.

Millers

*Richard Alwen Sr 1809 - 1846 (post mill)
*Richard Alwen Jr 1846 - 1884 (post and tower)
*Thomas Dives 1884 -
*Alfred Rayson - 1892

Access

The windmill is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month from June to October, with tours organised by "The Friends of Shirley Windmill".

References

External links

* [http://www.windmillworld.com/millid/2624.htm Windmill World] webpage on Shirley mill.
* [http://www.croydononline.org/history/heritage/shirley_windmill.asp Croydon online]
* [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Clive_Higgins/ Friends of Shirley Windmill]