The Jill Windmill......
The Clayton Windmills, known locally as Jack and Jill, stand on the South Downs above the village of Clayton, West Sussex. They comprise a post mill and a tower mill, and the roundhouse of a former post mill. All three are Grade II* listed buildings.
Jill was originally built in Dyke Road, Brighton, in 1821. She was known as Lashmar's New Mill and was built to replace Lashmar's Old Mill. In 1830, the Windshaft broke, bringing the sails crashing to the ground. In 1852 she was moved to Clayton by a team of horses and oxen.
The working life of the mills ended in 1906 and in 1908 Jill was damaged in a storm. She lost her fantail and sails over the years until in 1953 restoration was carried out by E Hole and Son, the Burgess Hill millwrights, funded by Cuckfield Rural District Council. In 1978, restoration of Jill to working order was commenced. Jill ground flour again in 1986. During the Great Storm of 1987, the mill's sails were set in motion with the brake on, setting fire to the mill. Some members of the Windmill Society were able to get to the mill and save her.
Today, Jill is in working order and open to the public most Sundays between May and September. She produces stoneground wholemeal flour on an occasional basis. The vast majority of her flour is sold to visitors. It is ground from organic wheat, grown locally in Sussex. On the occasions when the wind is blowing and Jill is in operation, a guide is available to explain the process of milling. Jill Windmill is owned by Mid Sussex District Council.
At the moment Jill only has two of her four sheets attached to the windshaft, one of the other two has had to be replaced due to the original being rotten, a replacement has been manufactured and along with the other sheet is lying close by waiting for their final coat of paint before being reattached.
A member of the Jack and Jill Windmills society I spoke to, reckons that the Windmill won't have it's four sheets finally back in position until August 2015.
Link to the society's website.......
Larger image......
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Jill is a post mill with a two storey roundhouse. She has four Patent Sails and is winded by a five blade fantail mounted on the tailpole. The windshaft is wooden, with a cast iron poll end dated 1831. Jill has two pairs of millstones, arranged Head and Tail. The compass arm Tail Wheel shows evidence of having been used as a Brake Wheel at some time. The main Post of Jill is made from four separate pieces of timber, a feature seen in some Sussex post mills and only found in this and Argos Hill Mill today.
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