Cromer Windmill, Ardeley
Encyclopedia
Cromer Windmill, restored in 1967-69, is a Grade II* listed post mill
at Cromer
, Ardeley
, Hertfordshire
, England
.
in Cromer since 1192. A windmill was stated to be "in ruins" in 1374 and another is mentioned in 1576. No windmill is shown on John Seller's map dated 1676 or Herman Moll's
map dated 1700. Despite the omission from the latter map, tree-ring counts
on its timbers show that the mill was built in 1681.
In 1719, Matthew Crane was the miller. In 1773, John Pearman of Luffenhall inherited the mill from his uncle, John Crane. Pearman sold the mill to Thomas Pearman in 1800. In 1822 the mill passed to William Munt, who worked the mill until his death in 1837, when the mill passed to his widow Edith, who worked it until 1856 when her son David took over. He sold the mill for £600 to William Boorman in 1869. There is a suggestion that mill may have been blown down about this time, since the crosstrees have been dated by dendrochronology to 1840-70. Boorman was a blacksmith
as well as a miller, and carried on both trades at the mill. He died in 1877 leaving the mill to his widow Emily. She ran the mill until 1888, when her son Ebenezer took over. A steam engine was being used as auxiliary power by this time. The mill was sold to Samuel Woollatt in the late 1890s, and Joseph Scowman was the tenant miller. The steam engine had been replaced by an oil engine by 1919; It worked a pair of millstones on a hurst frame outside the roundhouse. The mill was without sails in this year, although new sails were fitted by 1920. When a new 60 feet (18.29 m) long stock was imported from Sweden
, the journey from Buntingford
not being without difficulty as the stock went through a cottage window at one point. Scowman worked the mill until his death in 1920. The mill was worked by Joseph Ponder Scowman's widow Marian for a couple of years, and in 1922 Richard Hull took the mill. Hull worked the mill until 1930, apparently using the oil engine after 1923. The fantail had blown off by 1926 and one of the sails had been blown off by July 1929. The other three sails had been taken down by 1932 and the mill became derelict.
In 1938 some restoration was undertaken by volunteer labour, organised by Captain Berry. In the 1960s, a small group of mill enthusiasts raised enough money to enable the mill to be made structurally safe. The mill was given to the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust in 1967 by the owner George Turner of Cottered
. Building work carried out J. A. Elliott Ltd of Bishops Stortford included replacing some beams, and reboarding the mill and roundhouse roof. New stocks and sails, and a new set of rear steps were made by E. Hole and Sons, the Burgess Hill
millwright
s. The restoration took place between 1967 and 1969. Further structural repairs were carried out in 1979, including work to prevent infestation by Death Watch beetles
. By 1988, the mill was again in need of attention. There was a unrealised proposal to use a helicopter
to move the mill to a new site near Letchworth
. In 1990, further restoration work carried out by Dorothea Restorations Ltd of Bristol
included a new weather beam, rebuilding the brake wheel and repairing and refitting the sails. Further work funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and English Heritage
enabled the mill to be returned to working order in 1998. The mill was officially reopened on 21 June 1998 by Richard Whitmore
, entirely made of oak, is enclosed by the roundhouse. The main post is 22 inches (558.8 mm) square at its lower end, and 20 inches (508 mm) diameter at the crown tree. It is 18 in 9 in (5.72 m) long. The crosstrees, 22 feet (6.71 m) long. are carried on four brick piers of about 5 feet (1.52 m) height. The four quarterbars are each 11 feet (3.35 m) long.
The body measures 17 feet (5.18 m) by 13 in 4 in (4.06 m) in plan, and is 26 feet (7.92 m) in height. The mill is 38 in 6 in (11.73 m) high overall. It is winded by a fantail mounted on the ladder. The four Patent sails are each 26 feet (7.92 m) long and 7 feet (2.13 m) wide, spanning 56 feet (17.07 m). They are carried on a cast iron windshaft which replaced an earlier wooden one. The windshaft carries a wooden clasp arm brake wheel with 72 cogs. The brake wheel drives a cast iron wallower with 18 teeth, carried at the top of the cast iron upright shaft. At the lower end, the cast iron great spur wheel with 64 wooden cogs drives the two pairs of underdrift millstones located in the breast of the mill via cast iron stone nuts with 32 teeth. Only one pair of 4 in 4 in (1.32 m) French Burr stones remain. The other pair of millstones were Derbyshire Peaks
.
Reference for above:-
Post 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...
at Cromer
Cromer, Hertfordshire
Cromer is a hamlet in the civil parish of Ardeley, Hertfordshire, England.It is a small hamlet, however it is noteworthy for possessing Hertfordshire's sole surviving post mill....
, Ardeley
Ardeley
Ardeley is a small village and civil parish in East Hertfordshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Cromer, as well as Wood End and Moor Green.Ardeley is located about one and a half miles from Walkern...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 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...
.
History
There has been a windmillWindmill
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...
in Cromer since 1192. A windmill was stated to be "in ruins" in 1374 and another is mentioned in 1576. No windmill is shown on John Seller's map dated 1676 or Herman Moll's
Herman Moll
Herman Moll , was a cartographer, engraver, and publisher. Moll moved to England in 1678 and opened a book and map store in London...
map dated 1700. Despite the omission from the latter map, tree-ring counts
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
on its timbers show that the mill was built in 1681.
In 1719, Matthew Crane was the miller. In 1773, John Pearman of Luffenhall inherited the mill from his uncle, John Crane. Pearman sold the mill to Thomas Pearman in 1800. In 1822 the mill passed to William Munt, who worked the mill until his death in 1837, when the mill passed to his widow Edith, who worked it until 1856 when her son David took over. He sold the mill for £600 to William Boorman in 1869. There is a suggestion that mill may have been blown down about this time, since the crosstrees have been dated by dendrochronology to 1840-70. Boorman was a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
as well as a miller, and carried on both trades at the mill. He died in 1877 leaving the mill to his widow Emily. She ran the mill until 1888, when her son Ebenezer took over. A steam engine was being used as auxiliary power by this time. The mill was sold to Samuel Woollatt in the late 1890s, and Joseph Scowman was the tenant miller. The steam engine had been replaced by an oil engine by 1919; It worked a pair of millstones on a hurst frame outside the roundhouse. The mill was without sails in this year, although new sails were fitted by 1920. When a new 60 feet (18.29 m) long stock was imported from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the journey from Buntingford
Buntingford
Buntingford is a small market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England. It lies on the River Rib and on the Roman road Ermine Street. As a result of its location, it grew mainly as a staging post with many coaching inns and has an 18th...
not being without difficulty as the stock went through a cottage window at one point. Scowman worked the mill until his death in 1920. The mill was worked by Joseph Ponder Scowman's widow Marian for a couple of years, and in 1922 Richard Hull took the mill. Hull worked the mill until 1930, apparently using the oil engine after 1923. The fantail had blown off by 1926 and one of the sails had been blown off by July 1929. The other three sails had been taken down by 1932 and the mill became derelict.
In 1938 some restoration was undertaken by volunteer labour, organised by Captain Berry. In the 1960s, a small group of mill enthusiasts raised enough money to enable the mill to be made structurally safe. The mill was given to the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust in 1967 by the owner George Turner of Cottered
Cottered
Cottered is a village and civil parish west of Buntingford and east of Baldock in the East Hertfordshire District of Hertfordshire in England. It has a population of 634....
. Building work carried out J. A. Elliott Ltd of Bishops Stortford included replacing some beams, and reboarding the mill and roundhouse roof. New stocks and sails, and a new set of rear steps were made by E. Hole and Sons, 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...
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...
s. The restoration took place between 1967 and 1969. Further structural repairs were carried out in 1979, including work to prevent infestation by Death Watch beetles
Death watch beetle
The death watch beetle, Xestobium rufovillosum, is a woodboring beetle. The adult beetle is long, while the xylophagous larvae are up to long....
. By 1988, the mill was again in need of attention. There was a unrealised proposal to use a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to move the mill to a new site near Letchworth
Letchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
. In 1990, further restoration work carried out by Dorothea Restorations Ltd of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
included a new weather beam, rebuilding the brake wheel and repairing and refitting the sails. Further work funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
enabled the mill to be returned to working order in 1998. The mill was officially reopened on 21 June 1998 by Richard Whitmore
Richard Whitmore
Richard Whitmore is a broadcaster, writer and actor. Whitmore is best known for his work as a BBC newsreader in the 1970s and 1980s...
Description
Cromer Windmill is a post mill with a single storey roundhouse. The trestleTrestle (mill)
The Trestle of a Post mill is the arrangement of the Main post, crosstrees and quarterbars that form the substructure of this type of windmill. It may or may not be surrounded by a roundhouse...
, entirely made of oak, is enclosed by the roundhouse. The main post is 22 inches (558.8 mm) square at its lower end, and 20 inches (508 mm) diameter at the crown tree. It is 18 in 9 in (5.72 m) long. The crosstrees, 22 feet (6.71 m) long. are carried on four brick piers of about 5 feet (1.52 m) height. The four quarterbars are each 11 feet (3.35 m) long.
The body measures 17 feet (5.18 m) by 13 in 4 in (4.06 m) in plan, and is 26 feet (7.92 m) in height. The mill is 38 in 6 in (11.73 m) high overall. It is winded by a fantail mounted on the ladder. The four Patent sails are each 26 feet (7.92 m) long and 7 feet (2.13 m) wide, spanning 56 feet (17.07 m). They are carried on a cast iron windshaft which replaced an earlier wooden one. The windshaft carries a wooden clasp arm brake wheel with 72 cogs. The brake wheel drives a cast iron wallower with 18 teeth, carried at the top of the cast iron upright shaft. At the lower end, the cast iron great spur wheel with 64 wooden cogs drives the two pairs of underdrift millstones located in the breast of the mill via cast iron stone nuts with 32 teeth. Only one pair of 4 in 4 in (1.32 m) French Burr stones remain. The other pair of millstones were Derbyshire Peaks
Millstone Grit
Millstone Grit is the name given to any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of Carboniferous age which occur in the Northern England. The name derives from its use in earlier times as a source of millstones for use principally in watermills...
.
Millers
- Matthew Crane 1719-74
- William Munt 1800-37
- Edith Munt 1837-56
- David Munt 1856-69
- William Alfred Boorman 1870-75
- Emily Boorman 1875-88
- Ebenezer Boorman 1888-98
- Joseph Ponder Scowman 1898-1920
- Marian Scowman 1920-22
- Richard Michael Hull 1922-30
Reference for above:-
Public access
Cromer windmill is open to the public between 14:30 and 17:00 on the second and fourth weekend of each month between May and September, and on Bank Holidays.External links
- Windmill World webpage on Cromer Mill.