Beacon Mill, Benenden
Encyclopedia
Beacon Mill is a Grade II listedsmock mill in Benenden
, Kent
, England
which is in need of restoration. The mill has been out of use since 1923 and is privately owned.
s marked on the 1819-43 Ordnance Survey
map. It was also marked on Greenwood's 1821 map. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Beacon Mill was run in conjunction with Wandle Mill, on the River Rother
. The mill was last worked for trade in 1921 and the sails and fantail were removed in 1923. Two of the sails were re-erected on the White Mill at Headcorn
. The other pair were intended for re-use on the Union Mill, Cranbrook
but proved unsuitable for that mill. A pair of 4 feet (1.22 m) diameter millstone
s from the mill were installed in the Union Mill at Cranbrook
. Some repairs were carried out to the mill in 1950 to make it waterproof. On 3 December 1977 the cap suffered damage in a storm, and most of the roof was subsequently removed. The remains of the cap, and the windshaft had been removed by 1981. The mill was clad in plywood
in the early 1980s in an effort to keep the weather out. It retains the plywood cladding today.
Benenden
Benenden is a village and civil parish in the Tunbridge Wells District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald six miles to the west of Tenterden...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which is in need of restoration. The mill has been out of use since 1923 and is privately owned.
History
Beacon Mill is one of two windmillWindmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s marked on the 1819-43 Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map. It was also marked on Greenwood's 1821 map. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Beacon Mill was run in conjunction with Wandle Mill, on the River Rother
River Rother (Eastern)
The River Rother , at 35 miles , is a river flowing through both East Sussex and Kent, England. Its source is near Rotherfield , and its mouth is on Rye Bay, part of the English Channel....
. The mill was last worked for trade in 1921 and the sails and fantail were removed in 1923. Two of the sails were re-erected on the White Mill at Headcorn
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
. The other pair were intended for re-use on the Union Mill, Cranbrook
Union Mill, Cranbrook
Union Mill is a Grade I listed smock mill in Cranbrook, Kent, England which has been restored to working order. It is the tallest smock mill in the United Kingdom.-History:...
but proved unsuitable for that mill. A pair of 4 feet (1.22 m) diameter millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s from the mill were installed in the Union Mill at Cranbrook
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
. Some repairs were carried out to the mill in 1950 to make it waterproof. On 3 December 1977 the cap suffered damage in a storm, and most of the roof was subsequently removed. The remains of the cap, and the windshaft had been removed by 1981. The mill was clad in plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
in the early 1980s in an effort to keep the weather out. It retains the plywood cladding today.
Description
Beacon Mill has a three storey smock on a two storey brick base. It was approximately 50 feet (15.24 m) high overall (to the roof of the cap). It had four single Patent sails mounted on a cast iron windshaft and was winded by a fantail. There was a wide wooden stage at first floor level. The Brake Wheel was 10 feet (3.05 m) diameter, driving a 5 feet (1.52 m) diameter Wallower. The Brake Wheel was wood, as is the Wallower and Upright Shaft. whilst the Great Spur Wheel is cast iron with wooden cogs.Millers
- William Oxley
- Richard Reeves 1839-47
- John Barton
- Richard Corke
- F Richardson
- Thomas Collins Sr. - 1884
- Thomas Collins Jr. 1884 - 99
- Robert Burgess 1899 - 1921
External links
- Windmill World page on the mill.