Cromer Windmill - B1037, Cromer, Hertfordshire, UK - Windmills on Waymarking.com

This is Hertfordshire county's only surviving post mill. The following is quoted from (visit link) with thanks; there is much more information available on their excellent website.

'The large wooden body of the mill is balanced on a huge main post over 18ft high, around which it turns to allow the four shuttered sails to face into the wind. The main post is supported by a collection of timbers known as the trestle, protected from the weather by an octagonal brick roundhouse. The trestle comprise two horizontal crosstrees and four sloping quarter bars which together convey the weight of the mill onto four brick piers.

The body or buck of the mill contains all the corn-grinding machinery. It is reached by a ladder at the rear, above which is mounted the eight-bladed fantail which is geared to automatically turn the buck so that the sails face into the wind. The fantail turns two truck wheels at the bottom of the ladder which run on a track encircling the mill.

Cromer mill stands on an artificial mound where windmills have stood for over six hundred years. The present mill was built shortly before 1720, possibly as early as 1681. It was blown completely over around 1860 and subsequently rebuilt. Milling by wind became uneconomic in the 1920s and the mill fell into disrepair. It worked for a short time with no fantail before finally ceasing work. One sail was blown off in 1929 and the remaining sails were removed for safety. Apart from some repairs to the body carried out in 1938, nothing more was done to the mill, and it was left to deteriorate. An appeal by concerned local people in 1967 saved the life of Hertfordshire's sole-surviving post mill. On completion of the first phase of restoration work the mill was presented to the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust, the present owners. The first regular open days were held in the summer of 1991 after thorough repairs had been completed. The mill was brought into full working order in 1998 after receiving grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage. Money from visitors will help to maintain the mill in its present condition for future generations to enjoy.'

Date of Manufacture: 01/01/1720 Purpose: Milling Open to the public: yes Is This Windmill Functional?: Yes! Cost: 2.00 (listed in local currency) Windmill Farm: Not Listed Museum on Site: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/23/2009 bill&ben visited it

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