New Mill, Cross in Hand

New Mill, Cross in Hand

The mill in 2006
Origin
Mill location TQ 558 218
50°58′30″N 0°13′05″E / 50.975°N 0.218°E / 50.975; 0.218
Year built 1868
Information
Purpose Corn mill
Type Post mill
Roundhouse storeys Two storey roundhouse
Number of sails Four
Type of sails Patent sails
Windshaft Cast iron
Winding Tailpole mounted fantail
Fantail blades Eight blades
Number of pairs of millstones Three pairs
Other information Originally built at Framfield, moved in 1855 and 1868.

New Mill is a Grade II listed[1] post mill at Cross in Hand near Heathfield, East Sussex, England. It was the last windmill working commercially by wind in Sussex, ceasing work by wind in 1969 when a stock broke.

History

New Mill was built at Mount Ephraim, Framfield in the early 19th century. In 1855, it was moved to a site some ¼ mile (400 m) south west of its current position. The move was done by Samuel Medhurst, the Lewes millwright. In 1868, it was moved again to its current position, joining another windmill which became known as the Old Mill. Medhurst was also responsible for this move. The mill was working until 1969, when a stock broke. Milling continued by auxiliary power in an adjoining building until 1971.[2] The mill is currently under restoration.[3] In August 2014, concerns were raised about the condition of the mill, which is owned by brothers Brian and Geoff Newnham.[4] Following inspection by a millwright in 2015, a crowdfunding appeal was launched to raise £3,000 for emergency repairs to the trestle. When the appeal closed on 8 June, £1,654 had been raised.[5] The Mills Archive Trust also opened an appeal, allowing people to donate by cheque, with the added benefit of being able to increase their donations by 25% via Gift Aid. A total in excess of £7,000 was raised by the two appeals. Initial work to strengthen the trestle is scheduled to be completed in October 2015.[6]

Description

New Mill is a post mill on a two-storey roundhouse. It had four patent sails carried on a cast iron windshaft and was winded by a tailpole-mounted fantail. When originally built, the fantail was roof-mounted, in a similar manner to that still to be seen at Hogg Hill, Icklesham. Medhurst fitted a five-bladed fantail, which was replaced in 1907 by an eight-bladed fantail of 11 feet (3.35 m) diameter by Neve of Heathfield. The mill originally drove two pairs of millstones, driven by a 9-foot-8-inch (2.95 m) diameter head wheel and 8-foot-4-inch (2.54 m) diameter tail wheel. Later, another pair was added to the breast, driven by a spur gear arrangement, the spur wheel being 4 feet (1.22 m) diameter. One pair of stones in the breast was removed in 1933.

The body of New Mill is 21 feet (6.40 m) long and 12 feet (3.66 m) wide. The mill is 45 feet (13.72 m) high to the roof. The roundhouse is 25 feet (7.62 m) diameter and the main post is 2 feet 6 inches (760 mm) square.[2]

Millers

References for above:-[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "CROSS-IN-HAND WINDMILL, MILL LANE, HEATHFIELD AND WALDRON, WEALDEN, EAST SUSSEX". English Heritage. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  2. 1 2 3 Brunnarius, Martin (1979). The Windmills of Sussex. Chichester: Philimore. pp. 38–41, 188. ISBN 0-85033-345-8.
  3. ↑ "Windmill at Cross In Hand, Heathfield, East Sussex - 7th February 2004". Roughwood. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  4. ↑ "Poet's campaign to save Cross in Hand Windmill". Sussex Express. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Cross-in-Hand Windmill Restoration". Indiegogo. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Cumming, Rob. "Breaking the Deadlock". Mill News. Wind and Watermills Section, Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (July 2015): 2–5.

Further reading

Hemming, Peter (1936). Windmills in Sussex. London: C W Daniel.  Online version

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