Heritage Mill, North Chailey
Encyclopedia
Heritage Mill, or Beard's Mill is a grade II listed smock mill
at North Chailey
, Sussex
, England
which is maintained as a landmark and open to the public.
, where she was known as Hammingden Mill. In 1844 she was moved to Newhaven
, replacing a mill that had burnt down. She was made redundant by the erection of a steam mill and was moved again, this time to her current location at Chailey, replacing a post mill
. This second move was done by Medhurst, the Lewes
millwright
. Heritage Mill was working by wind until 1911.
In 1928 the mill was tailwinded, and the cap and sails were blown off. The mill was restored in 1933. The work was done by Neve's, the Heathfield
millwright
s. A few years later, the mill was tailwinded again, and this time the windshaft snapped between the Brake Wheel and canister. Neve's installed the windshaft from Punnetts Town Windmill, which had been partly dismantled in 1935.
. When working it had four Patent sails
carried on a cast iron
windshaft. The only machinery remaining is the clasp arm great spur wheel.
References for above:-
Online version
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
at North Chailey
Chailey
Chailey is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is located ten miles north of Lewes, on the A272 road from Winchester to Canterbury...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, 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 maintained as a landmark and open to the public.
History
A windmill was first recorded at this site in 1596.Heritage Mill, the seventh on this site, was built in 1830 at Highbrook, West HoathlyWest Hoathly
West Hoathly is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, located south west of East Grinstead. In the 2001 census 2,121 people, of whom 1,150 were economically active, lived in 813 households. The parish, which has a land area of , includes the hamlets of...
, where she was known as Hammingden Mill. In 1844 she was moved to Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
, replacing a mill that had burnt down. She was made redundant by the erection of a steam mill and was moved again, this time to her current location at Chailey, replacing a post mill
Post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
. This second move was done by Medhurst, the Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
. Heritage Mill was working by wind until 1911.
In 1928 the mill was tailwinded, and the cap and sails were blown off. The mill was restored in 1933. The work was done by Neve's, the Heathfield
Heathfield, East Sussex
Heathfield is a small market town, and the principal settlement in the civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, England.-Location:...
millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
s. A few years later, the mill was tailwinded again, and this time the windshaft snapped between the Brake Wheel and canister. Neve's installed the windshaft from Punnetts Town Windmill, which had been partly dismantled in 1935.
Description
Heritage Mill is a three storey smock mill on a single storey brick base. It has a Kentish style cap winded by a fantailWindmill fantail
A Fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the cap automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills...
. When working it had four Patent sails
Windmill sail
Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different designs, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails.-Jib sails:...
carried on a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
windshaft. The only machinery remaining is the clasp arm great spur wheel.
Millers
- John Arnold 1841(Hammingden)
- Bollen 1844 (Newhaven)
- Messrs Stone & Towner - 1864 (Newhaven)
- Godley
- Thomas Comber
- H K Wallis 1870
- A G Sparkes 1874
- Lockyer 1878 - 1911
References for above:-
External links
- Windmill World Page on Chailey Windmill.
- Visiting information
Online version