Black Mill - Millers Court, Whitstable, Kent, UK - Windmills on Waymarking.com

The Black Mill is also known as Borstal Hill Mill and it was built in 1815. It is a traditional Smock Mill and is now converted into a private residence after being a motel for many years, finally closing in 1987.

Wikipedia describes the mill:visit link

'Black Mill was built in 1815. A mill that previously stood on the site was marked on Bowen's map of 1736. The mill had been painted white when built, but was tarred in 1885, thus gaining its name of Black Mill. Trinity House had to be notified, as the mill was a navigational landmark for sailors. The mill last worked circa 1905 and in 1928 was converted into a studio by the artist Laurence Irving, the grandson of Sir Henry Irving. [Henry's wife Dorothea Irving provided the mill and garden as a retreat for deprived London children so they had somewhere to escape from the city slums.]

The mill was later converted into a motel. The converted tower still contains the major milling machinery, and externally bears stocks and a dummy fantail.

Black mill is a four storey smock mill on a single storey brick base. There was a stage at first floor level. It had four patent sails carried on a cast iron windshaft. The Brake wheel survives. This drove a cast iron Wallower mounted on a wooden Upright Shaft. The Great Spur Wheel also survives. The mill drove three pairs of millstones overdrift. It was winded by a fantail.

Millers

Lawes & Carr 1839 - 1845
William Carr 1845
Jonathan Rye
Henry Somerford 1860 - 1866
James Callingham 1866 -
Callingham Bros. - 1899
George & William Dawking 1899 - 1905'

Further interesting information on the Windmills of Whitstable can be read here: visit link

The mill stood apart from the miller's house until chalets/houses were built around it from the mid 1920s, after the milling had finished in 1899. During the First World War the windmill was used as a lookout and people watched for Zeppelins from its good vantage point. This role was also used in World War II. During its earlier years the windmill is reported to have been used in the smugglers' signalling systems due to its visibility to the sea and beyond.

Date of Manufacture: 01/01/1815 Purpose: Milling Open to the public: no Is This Windmill Functional?: No Windmill Farm: no Museum on Site: no Cost: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   06/01/2012 MeerRescue visited it