Herne Smock Mill - Herne, Kent, CT6 7DF - Windmills on Waymarking.com

Herne Windmill is a typical Kentish smock mill that still retains much of it's original machinery. The mill features an external reefing gallery, or walkway, between the first and second floors, a large loading door at first floor level, and a three-storey black tarred smock with staggered windows. The black Kentish wagon cap is luffed by a six-blade fantail and also by a wheel at the back. There were three pairs of over drift stones (two French burrs and a Peak), an iron windshaft, a wooden wallower, stone nuts and an early compass-arm Great Spur Wheel. The brake-wheel was also a compass-arm type but modified at a later date with cast iron spokes and hub, probably at the same time that a cast iron windshaft and patent sails were added. Herne Windmill towers over the village of Herne on a site that has, according to Canterbury and Kent County records, had a mill in one form or other for over 600 years

The present windmill has been in place since 1789, replacing an earlier 16th century post mill. It was probably built by Holman Brothers of Canterbury for the miller Job Lawrance.  Herne Windmill remained in the Lawrance family for a century until 1879 when it was bought by one Thomas Wootton. It was raised up two floors in 1858, (a rare occurrence - there are only six other examples), probably by Holman Brothers of Canterbury, the most notable millwrights in the area at that time. The sails, or sweeps as they call them in Kent and Sussex, came close to the ground as they turned. This caused problems as the trees round the mill grew and raising the mill up was the solution. An 18in thick brick substructure was used to achieve the extra 17ft height. It was still used for milling of cereal grains until the turn of the 19th century. Until 1931 the mill ran with only two sweeps, but in that year the cap stuck. Frank Wootton sought the assistance of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. After Rex Wailes made a  report on the mill, Thomas Hunt of Soham fitted a replacement pair of sweeps from Forncett End Mill in Norfolk and a new pair of their own manufacture. The Wootton family continued its ownership, milling animal feed by wind power until 1952, then by electricity with a flail mill. Further repairs were made in 1956 and restoration work began in 1971. It was sold in 1980 and is now owned by Kent County Council. So important an example of a surviving smock mill, Herne Windmill was given a Grade 1 listed building status in 1984. It was restored to working order in 1986.

Date of Manufacture: 01/01/1789 Purpose: Milling Is This Windmill Functional?: Yes! Windmill Farm: no Cost: 1.00 (listed in local currency) Museum on Site: yes Open to the public: Not Listed

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