Heage Windmill
Heage, Derbyshire
An attractive mill in
picturesque country setting
| Heage windmill is a
tower mill with six sails and fan tail and built of local sandstone and is
over two hundred years old. Standing on the brow of a hill between the
villages of Heage and Nether Heage in the district of Amber Valley. It overlooks the village of
Nether Heage. Heage windmill was built
somewhen between 1791 and 1798.
An advertisement for a tradesman in the
Derby Mercury of 16th June 1791,Heage windmill is to be erected, any mason
inclined to undertake the stone building to attend at the mill, all materials
laid down in place. In 1798:- To be let complete smock mill with fantail, two pairs of stones, good dressing machine made to plans approved by Mr Wass standing in good situation at Heage.
Although this and other later adverts refer
to it as a smock mill, rather than a tower mill, its not thought to have
changed and its said that in this part of the country and time tower mills
where often refered to as smock mills.
The squat stone built tower is 24 feet in diameter and has a stone plaque by the
entrance door marked WSM 1850, - the significance of which is not clear, so
perhaps changes were made at that time, and perhaps it was a smock mil
before this point.
The
mill is built on a small mound and an entrance below could have enabled carts to
back right into the building for loading and unloading.
There was a small stone building, built after the mill, alongside the mill which was used as the kiln.
A kiln was often used to dry grain before it was ground into flour or oatmeal.
One report suggested that a woman who entered the kiln to turn the corn was
burnt to death when her clothes caught fire. The roof of this kiln later fell in
and for a long time only the shell remained. This has now been restored and
turned into the Visitor Centre.
A photograph taken before 1890 shows the mill
with two common and two spring sales, a black ogee cap and a fantail which had
14 slim blades. It operated in this form until February 1894 when the mill was
tail winded and the cap and four sails were blown off in a violent storm.
Another photograph shows a man, presumably the miller, standing on the wreckage
of the sails in front of the mill and the brake wheel protrudes from the top of
the tower.
When rebuilt the four sails was replaced with six
patent sails, presumably to obtain more power, although in other respects the
mill was externally similar. The work was carried out by George Chell, a
millwright from nearby Crich.
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On the mills own site you can find far more
details of the construction including a detailed
Technical Drawing
In 1919 the fan tail was severely damaged in a
gale, most of the blades being lost. The damage was serious and with the
economic situation of mills at that time, the mill closed down and became over
the following years almost derelict.
The mill was struck by lightning in 1961 and a photograph taken in 1967 shows
only the remnants of the sails and a stub where the fantail and its staging had
been. A preservation order (Number 1 by Derbyshire County Council under the 1962
Town and Country Planning Act) was placed upon the mill by Derbyshire County
Council who bought the mill for £350 and the mill was then listed "Grade II*" on
the 27th May 1966.
Over the next few years restoration work was carried out by the millwrights
Thompsons of Alford in Lincolnshire and new floors, sails, cap and fantail were
made. New sails were hoisted on the 15th March 1972 and the fantail was lifted
into place three days later. The mill is still in the care of Derbyshire County
Council., who have continued to make repairs including new sails.
Some of the parts to restore it came out of
Hewitts mill in Lincolnshire
It is now open, and is an attractive mill
in picturesque country setting.
Further information Grid
Planning Grid
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Location: |
Heage Windmill,
Heage, Derbyshire |
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Grid Reference: |
SK 367507 |
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Getting there: |
About 2 miles
north of Belper. From A38 take A610 west. Follow brown signs from village. |
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Things To Do,
See and Photograph: |
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Address: |
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Postcode: |
DE56 2BH |
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Telephone: |
01773 853579
Parties 01773 852270 |
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Opening times: |
April to
October, Sat, Sun and Bank Holidays 11.00 16.00.
Last tour 15.45.
Parties by arrangement.
National Mills Weekend opening times
Saturday and Sunday
11.00 16.00 |
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Dogs Allowed: |
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CIN Page Ref: |
heage |
Date Updated: 05/2008 |
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