Old windmill, new sails

click photo to enlarge

I hadn't anticipated dull and dreary skies when we decided we'd visit Moulton windmill to see its new sails. After all, the forecast was for sunshine and showers. But, as we sat and ate our lunch and heavy drops of rain started to fall I began to fear the worst. Even as we journeyed the few short miles to the mill, the tallest in England, I retained a lingering hope that a patch of clear, or at least interesting sky would coincide with our time there. And it did. Unfortunately it was when we were inside the mill having a guided tour! Consequently the shots of the exterior that I'd hoped for didn't materialise, and the photograph above, taken from the external fourth floor reefing gallery (balcony), is the only one that I took of the new sails that is worth reproducing. However, I did get a photograph of Moulton church from the same balcony, and I include a photograph of the mill's stones that I took on a previous visit.

The original sails of Moulton windmill were removed after they were damaged in a gale in 1894, a severe "blow" that inflicted injury on a number of Lincolnshire mills. In subsequent years the millstones were powered by steam, diesel, then electricity, before milling finally ended in 1995. The charitable trust that acquired the mill set themselves the task of restoring it to the point where it could begin wind-powered milling again as a tourist attraction The most important step on that journey was accomplished on 21st November 2011 when new sails were fitted. The next step will be taken on 29th April 2012 when, wind permitting, the sails will be allowed to turn. Then, on 5th May 2012 (also wind permitting) milling will be undertaken. The resulting bags of flour are to be sold to visitors and local businesses.

Over the years I've looked at a number of windmills, read a few books on the subject, and increased my understanding of these buildings/machines. However, on my recent visit to Moulton I clarified a point that I was unclear about concerning millstones. I've seen many circular millstones that are made of a single piece of stone, and many that are made with a number of interlocking pieces of stone that are held together with iron bands around the rim. Why the difference? Apparently most of the single stones are older, Derbyshire gritstone examples. The pieced millstones are made of French stone that originally came into the country as ballast in ships. The latter could be assembled very quickly whilst the former had to be ordered years in advance and cut out of the outcrops on the Derbyshire moors. Clearly the assembled stones were cheaper, could be ordered nearer to the time they were required, and were as good if not better than the locally sourced stones. Moulton has examples of both kinds.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Photo 1
Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 24mm
 F No: f7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/500 sec
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation:  -0.67 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

Dobson's Mill, Burgh le Marsh

click photo to enlarge
In recent years I've taken an interest in the half-machine/half-building that is the windmill. In my journeys around Britain I come across them reasonably regularly. They aren't evenly spread through these windy islands: in the hills and mountains of the north and west the water-powered mill located on a stream or river was more often favoured, though on the Fylde Plain of west Lancashire they were found (and still are found) in sufficient numbers that it was known as "windmill land". In the main, however, the east and south of England was the domain of the windmill and it is here that the majority of those that remain can be seen. Many windmills have lost their sails and remain as forlorn, tapering towers, sometimes with, but more often without, their original cap. A significant number of these have been turned into desirable residences. Those with sails are usually in the hands of local authorities, charitable trusts established for the purpose of maintaining the structure, or are the property of private owners. A while ago I visited Moulton windmill in south Lincolnshire: the other day I had a look at Dobson's Mill at Burgh le Marsh near Skegness, also in Lincolnshire.

This windmill is owned by the local council and looked after by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers. It is a tarred, brick-built, five storey structure erected in 1813 by Sam Oxley of Alford. One of the features that distinguishes it from most other tower windmills is the fact that its five sails are left-handed, which means they rotate clockwise. I had a tour of the inside, and found that quite a bit of the original, early nineteenth century fittings and machinery are still in place. My main photograph shows two of the millstones, the top one partly encased in wood of Georgian-period manufacture. Resting on it are a variety of old tools, including some that are used in re-cutting the heavy stones after they have become worn through the regular grinding of corn. The sight of these haphazardly assembled old implements seemed a good subject for a sepia-toned image, and that is how I present it.The smaller image shows the windmill in context with its attendant corrugated steel sheds.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Photo 1 (Photo 2)
Camera: Lumix LX3 (Olympus E510)
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 5.1mm (24mm/35mm equiv.) (15mm (30mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f2 (6.3)
Shutter Speed: 1/30 (400)
ISO: 200 (100)
Exposure Compensation: 0 EV (-0.3 EV)
Image Stabilisation: On