Wilton Windmill
The Wilton Windmill is a five-floor brick tower mill, standing on a chalk ridge between the villages of Wilton and Great Bedwyn in the southern English county of Wiltshire.
History
The mill was built in 1821 because the construction of the Kennet and Avon Canal had included the canalisation of the River Bedwyn which had previously powered several water mills in the area.
The windmill was in use for a century, continuing into the 1920s, but fell into disuse, probably as the result of competition from large steam roller mills. In the 1960s it was added to the
It is now owned by Wiltshire Council and managed by the Wilton Windmill Society, formed in 1976 and operated entirely by volunteers.[2] In the 1980s the mill was in financial difficulties, which led to the Society forming a cricket XI, the Wilton Millers' Cricket Team, to raise funds by playing sponsored matches, and in 2011 this was still in existence, although no longer needed for fundraising.[2]
Flour, made from locally grown wheat, is still produced at the mill and can be bought on site and in local shops.[2]
Sails
As when it was first constructed, the mill has a fantail, which causes the cap bearing the sails to turn to make best use of the available wind. Of the four sails, two are of canvas and two are more complicated "patent sails", each consisting of twenty-two sections which can be angled.[2]
Location
Position: grid reference SU275616
Nearby towns and cities: Hungerford, Marlborough, Newbury, Swindon
Nearby villages:
Nearby places of interest: Crofton Pumping Station, Kennet and Avon Canal, Wilton Water, Pewsey White Horse
Culture and media
Wilton Windmill featured in an episode of
See also
References
- ^ Historic England. "Wilton Windmill (1034034)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Anna Stowe, 'A brief history of Wilton Windmill' in Wiltshire Life magazine dated May 2011
- ^ "Christmas Series of Victorian Farm". Windmill World. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
External links
Media related to Wilton Windmill at Wikimedia Commons