Beacon Mill, Rottingdean
Encyclopedia
Beacon Mill or New Mill is a grade II listed smock mill
at Rottingdean
, Sussex
, England
which has been restored as a seamark.
. During the digging of the foundations, a human skeleton was found. The mill was working until 1881 and by 1890 was in such bad condition that demolition was considered. In 1905, the Marquis of Abergavenny
had the mill repaired, but she was derelict again by the early 1920s. It was 1935 before she was restored again, the millwright
ing being done by Neve's of Heathfield
and new sails were made by Holman's, the Canterbury
millwrights. In 1969, the mill was leaning to the north east, and Hole's, the Burgess Hill
millwrights erected a steel frame inside the smock to support the mill, and fitted new sails. The steel framing was extended into the cap in 1974
. It originally had a fantail
, but this is now missing.
band "The Tenderfoot".
The mill
also featured in the music video for That Old Pair of Jeans
by Fatboy Slim
.
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
at Rottingdean
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which has been restored as a seamark.
History
Beacon Mill, was built in 1802. There are records of an earlier mill on the site, thought to have been a post millPost mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
. During the digging of the foundations, a human skeleton was found. The mill was working until 1881 and by 1890 was in such bad condition that demolition was considered. In 1905, the Marquis of Abergavenny
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny KG, MVO , styled Viscount Neville between 1845 and 1868 and known as The Earl of Abergavenny between 1868 and 1876, was a British peer....
had the mill repaired, but she was derelict again by the early 1920s. It was 1935 before she was restored again, the millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
ing being done by Neve's of Heathfield
Heathfield, East Sussex
Heathfield is a small market town, and the principal settlement in the civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, England.-Location:...
and new sails were made by Holman's, the Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
millwrights. In 1969, the mill was leaning to the north east, and Hole's, the Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
millwrights erected a steel frame inside the smock to support the mill, and fitted new sails. The steel framing was extended into the cap in 1974
Description
Beacon Mill is a three storey smock mill on a single storey brick base. It has a Kentish style cap, and four Patent sailsWindmill sail
Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different designs, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails.-Jib sails:...
. It originally had a fantail
Windmill fantail
A Fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the cap automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills...
, but this is now missing.
Culture and Media
Beacon Mill featured on the front cover of the album "Vale Industrial" by BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
band "The Tenderfoot".
The mill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
also featured in the music video for That Old Pair of Jeans
That Old Pair of Jeans
"That Old Pair of Jeans" is a song by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim, from his compilation album The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder...
by Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
.
Public access
Beacon Mill is open to the public from 14:00 to 16:30 on both days of National Mills Weekend, and on the third Sunday of each month from May to September.External links
- Windmill World Page on Beacon windmill.
- Rottingdean smock mill, photo gallery