Oldland Mill, Keymer

Oldland Windmill, Keymer
The mill during an Open Day 2016.
Origin
Grid reference	TQ 321 162
Coordinates	50°55′48″N 0°07′08″W / 50.930°N 0.119°W / 50.930; -0.119Coordinates: 50°55′48″N 0°07′08″W / 50.930°N 0.119°W / 50.930; -0.119
Year built	c1700
Information
Purpose	Corn mill
Type	Post mill
Roundhouse storeys	Single storey roundhouse
Number of sails	Four
Type of sails	Spring sails
Windshaft	Cast iron
Winding	Tailpole
Auxiliary power	Steam
Number of pairs of millstones	Two pairs, arranged Head and Tail

Oldland Windmill is an 18th-century post mill situated in the village of Keymer, West Sussex.

History

Oldland Windmill was built c.1700 (the earliest record of a windmill in the area dates from 1703). It was originally an open trestle mill, with the roundhouse being added later.^[1] Records show that a mill stood in Keymer in 1755, and the mill was marked on a map dated 1783, but it is not shown on one dated 1795. The 1801 National Defence Schedule records the mill but the 1813 Ordnance Survey and Greenwood's 1829 map omit the mill. However, the larger scale Surveyor's Draft of the Ordnance Survey does show the mill. Records show that the mill was standing in 1828. Oldland Mill was working by wind until 1912. The mill began to fall into disrepair in the early part of the 20th century and continued to deteriorate.

The Sussex Archaeological Society acquired the mill in 1927 and repairs were carried out by E Hole and Sons of Burgess Hill in 1934.^[2] In 1976, at the Annual General Meeting of the Hassocks Amenity Association, there was a talk was given on the work of Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. The question of how to preserve Oldland Mill was raised. The mill was then in the ownership of the Sussex Archaeological Society. The mill was surveyed in 1977 by millwrights Vincent Pargeter and Edwin Hole and found to be close to collapse. Following negotiations with the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1979 the Hassocks Amenity Association leased the mill in 1980 and began a period of volunteer-led restoration.^[1]

Since then the mill has benefited from a DEFRA grant and substantial work has been completed, almost entirely carried out by volunteers.^[3] The mill was stripped to her bare essentials and many new parts completely and accurately built from scratch to replace rotten parts. The whole mill has been reclad and as of 18 October 2007 the four sails had been lifted into position. The mill ground its first batch of corn for many decades in October 2008, and following detailed commissioning the windmill now grinds flour regularly, being one of the few windmills registered for flour sales in Sussex. It is Sussex's oldest working windmill and today the mill is looked after by the volunteers of Oldland Mill Trust, a registered charity which owns the mill.^[4]

The original auxiliary drive system was restored and commissioned in 2015 when steam power was used to drive the mill for the first time in over 100 years.

Restoration

The first working party on 2 August 1980 cleared rubbish around the mill and made a temporary repair to the roof of the roundhouse. In 1981, the two remaining sails and stock were removed with the assistance of sailors from HMS Daedalus. In 1983, an "A" frame was constructed to support the windshaft. The mill was restored over the next ten years, with much of the framing being replaced, including the trestle, crown tree, breast, tail and side frames.^[1] A new 8-foot-8-inch (2.64 m) diameter clasp arm head wheel and brake was constructed in 2006. The head wheel is of elm with hornbeam cogs and oak arms.^[5]

Description

For an explanation of the various pieces of machinery, see Mill machinery.

Oldland Mill is a post mill on a single-storey octagonal roundhouse. It has four spring sails and is winded by a tailpole. The windshaft is cast iron and was cast by Boaz Medhurst, the Lewes millwright, in 1873. There are two pairs of millstones, arranged head and tail.^[2]

Millers

Josh Beard 1828
Joseph Winchester 1839 - 1854
William Winchester 1839 - 1854
J Turner - 1899
John White 1899 - 1904
David Driver 1904 - 1912

Reference for above:-^[2]

References

1 2 3 "The history of Oldland Windmill". Oldland Mill Trust. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
1 2 3 Brunnarius, Martin (1979). The Windmills of Sussex. Chichester: Philimore. pp. 48–50, 189. ISBN 0-85033-345-8.
↑ "Dedicated volunteers transform mill". The Argus.
↑ "Charity Details".
↑ "Making the Brakewheel". Oldland Mill Trust. Retrieved 2008-05-06.

External links

Gallery

The mill in November 2007.
Oldland Mill in the context of its surrounding countryside.
The original granary for the mill, Feb 09.
Rear view of the mill in February 2009.
Oldland Mill in 2008.

Windmills in England

East	Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Essex Ashdon Aythorpe Roding Bocking Churchstreet Clavering Debden Finchingfield Fryerning Great Bardfield Great Dunmow Mountnessing Orsett Ramsey Rayleigh South Ockendon Stansted Mountfitchet Stock Terling Thaxted Tiptree Toppesfield White Roding Hertfordshire Ardeley Brent Pelham Croxley Green King's Walden North Mymms Reed Tring Weston Norfolk Aslacton Aylsham Blakeney Billingford Burnham Overy Staithe Union Carbrooke Caston Catfield Cley Denver Diss East Dereham East Harling East Runton East Wretham Garboldisham Gayton Great Bircham Great Ellingham Hickling Hindringham Ingleborough Old Buckenham Thrigby West Winch Weybourne Norfolk Drainage mills Berney Arms Boardman’s Brograve Catfield Clayrack Horning Horsey Hunsett Lambrigg Lockgate Palmer’s Reedham Starston Stubb Suffolk Aldeburgh Bardwell Barnham Blundeston Bungay Burgh Buxhall Clare Cockfield Corton Creeting St Mary Crowfield Dalham Drinkstone Eastbridge Framsden Friston Gazeley Great Thurlow Great Welnetham Herringfleet Holton Kelsale Lound Pakenham Reydon Saxtead Green Stanton Stowmarket Syleham Thelnetham Thorpeness Walberswick Walton Woodbridge Buttrum's Tricker's

East Midlands	Derbyshire Northamptonshire Rutland Leicestershire Ullesthorpe Lincolnshire Alford Boston Burgh-le-Marsh Heckington Kirton in Lindsey Metheringham Moulton Waltham Wrawby Nottinghamshire Sneinton

London	Greater London Arkley Barking Battersea Brixton Keston Plumstead Common Shirley Upminster Wandsworth Common Wimbledon Common

North East	Durham Northumberland

North West	Cheshire Cumbria Lancashire Little Marton Lytham Thornton Merseyside Bidston Wavertree

South East	Buckinghamshire Cobstone Hawridge Pitstone East Sussex Alfriston Argos Hill Battle Cross in Hand Crowborough Herstmonceux Icklesham Kingston Mark Cross North Chailey Nutley Punnetts Town Rye Polegate Rottingdean Stone Cross Tide Mills Patcham West Blatchington Winchelsea Hampshire Bursledon Chalton Crux Easton Langstone Isle of Wight Bembridge Kent Benenden Bidborough Barham Canterbury Charing Chillenden Chislet Copton Cranbrook Eastry Edenbridge Guston Herne Kingston Margate Meopham Northbourne Oare Ringwould Rolvenden Sandhurst Sandwich Sarre Sheerness Stanford Stelling Minnis St Margaret's Bay West Kingsdown Whitstable Willesborough Wittersham Woodchurch Oxfordshire Berkshire Surrey Buckland Capel Ewhurst Frimley Green Lowfield Heath Outwood Reigate Reigate Heath Tadworth West Sussex Angmering Arundel Barnham Clayton Earnley East Wittering Halnaker High Salvington Keymer Nutbourne Pagham Selsey Shipley Washington West Chiltington

South West	Cornwall Devon Gloucestershire Dorset Cottonfields Top Growlands Somerset Ashton Stembridge Wiltshire Wilton

West Midlands	Herefordshire Shropshire Staffordshire Worcestershire Warwickshire Chesterton

Yorkshire and the Humber	East Riding of Yorkshire Skidby North Yorkshire York South Yorkshire West Yorkshire

List of windmills in the United Kingdom

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