Thorpeness Windmill
Encyclopedia
Thorpeness Windmill is a Grade II listed post mill
at Thorpeness
, Suffolk
, England
which was built in 1803 at Aldringham
and moved to Thorpeness in 1923. Originally built as a corn mill, it was converted to a water pumping mill
when it was moved to Thorpeness. It pumped water to the House in the Clouds
.
In the winter of 1922, Aldringham Mill was dismantled by Messrs Whitmore's, millwright
s of Wickham Market
. Amos Clarke was millwright in charge. It was rebuilt at Thorpeness to supply water to the House in the Clouds, which is really a water tower
disguised as a house.
The mill was used to supply the House in the clouds until 1940, when an engine was installed to do the job. During the war
, some children blocked the tramway that the winding wheels driven by the fantail run on, with the result that the steps lifted up and the mill tilted forward, leaving the steps in the air. Although a number of men sat on the steps of the mill, it would not return to its natural state. Millwright Ted Friend, of Whitmore's was called in and soon restored the mill to normal with deft use of a sledge hammer. In 1972, the fantail was blown off in a storm and in September 1973 the mill was damaged by a fire on the heath where it stands. One sail and stock were destroyed. In 1975, Suffolk Coastal District Council
, Thorpeness Estate and the Countryside Commission
granted money to enabled the mill to be restored. The mill was restored in 1977 and subsequently purchased from the Thorpeness Estate by Suffolk County Council
.
In 2010 the Council put the Windmill on the market for sale at an estimated price £150,000.
The Council accepted an offer of £72,100 in November 2010 (figures from Land Registry)
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...
at Thorpeness
Thorpeness
Thorpeness is a village in the county of Suffolk, England. It is part of the parish of Aldringham cum Thorpe and is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.- Development of the community :...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, 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 was built in 1803 at Aldringham
Aldringham
Aldringham is a village in Suffolk, England. The village is located 1 mile south of Leiston and 3 miles northwest of Aldeburgh close to the North Sea coast. The parish includes the coastal village of Thorpeness. The mid-2005 population estimate for Aldringham cum Thorpe parish was...
and moved to Thorpeness in 1923. Originally built as a corn mill, it was converted to a water pumping mill
Windpump
A windpump is a windmill used for pumping water, either as a source of fresh water from wells, or for draining low-lying areas of land. Once a common fixture on farms in semi-arid areas, windpumps are still used today where electric power is not available or too expensive.-History:Windmills were...
when it was moved to Thorpeness. It pumped water to the House in the Clouds
House in the Clouds
The House in the Clouds is a water tower at Thorpeness, Suffolk, UK. It was built in 1923 to receive water pumped from Thorpeness Windmill and was designed to improve the looks of the water tower, disguising its tank with the appearance of a weatherboarded building more in keeping with Thorpeness's...
.
History
Thorpeness Mill was built as a corn mill at Aldringham in 1803. In the 1890s the Ogilvy family were the millers.In the winter of 1922, Aldringham Mill was dismantled by Messrs Whitmore's, 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 of Wickham Market
Wickham Market
Wickham Market is a large village situated in the River Deben valley of Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coastal heritage area.It is on the A12 trunk road thirteen miles north-east of the county town of Ipswich, five miles north-east of Woodbridge. Its railway station is located approximately...
. Amos Clarke was millwright in charge. It was rebuilt at Thorpeness to supply water to the House in the Clouds, which is really a water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
disguised as a house.
The mill was used to supply the House in the clouds until 1940, when an engine was installed to do the job. During the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, some children blocked the tramway that the winding wheels driven by the fantail run on, with the result that the steps lifted up and the mill tilted forward, leaving the steps in the air. Although a number of men sat on the steps of the mill, it would not return to its natural state. Millwright Ted Friend, of Whitmore's was called in and soon restored the mill to normal with deft use of a sledge hammer. In 1972, the fantail was blown off in a storm and in September 1973 the mill was damaged by a fire on the heath where it stands. One sail and stock were destroyed. In 1975, Suffolk Coastal District Council
Suffolk Coastal
Suffolk Coastal is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council is based in Woodbridge. Other towns include Felixstowe.The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Aldeburgh, along with Felixstowe,...
, Thorpeness Estate and the Countryside Commission
Countryside Commission
The Countryside Commission was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only...
granted money to enabled the mill to be restored. The mill was restored in 1977 and subsequently purchased from the Thorpeness Estate by Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 72 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions...
.
In 2010 the Council put the Windmill on the market for sale at an estimated price £150,000.
The Council accepted an offer of £72,100 in November 2010 (figures from Land Registry)
Description
Thorpeness Mill is a post mill on a single storey roundhouse. It is winded by a fantail arranged in the Suffolk style. The four Patent sails are carried on a cast iron windshaft. The brake wheel drives a three throw pump which pumped water from a well 28 feet (8.53 m) deep to water tanks housed in the House in the Clouds. The mill could pump 1800 gallons (8,183 l) per hour. The mill is winded by a six bladed fantail mounted on the ladder.Public access
Thorpeness Mill is open from 11:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 at weekends from Easter to September. It is also open from 14:00 to 17:00 on weekdays in July and August.External links
The windmill is now closed to the public for renovation.- Windmill World webpage on Thorpeness Mill.