St Margaret's Bay Windmill is a Grade II listed[1] Smock mill on South Foreland, the southeasternmost point of England. It was built in 1929 to generate electricity for the attached house, high on the White Cliffs of Dover.
| St Margaret's Bay Windmill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Origin | |
| Mill location | St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent |
| Grid reference | TR 363 436 |
| Coordinates | 51°8′31.5″N 1°22′35″E / 51.142083°N 1.37639°E |
| Year built | 1929 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Electricity generation |
| Type | Smock mill |
| Storeys | Three-storey smock |
| Base storeys | Single-storey base |
| Smock sides | Eight-sided |
| No. of sails | Four |
| Type of sails | Double Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Fantail |
| Fantail blades | Six blades |
| Other information | Last new build traditional windmill in Kent. |
History edit
The mill was built for Sir William Bearswell by Holman's, the Canterbury millwrights. It was built to generate electricity and started generating in June 1929.[2] The mill ceased to generate electricity in 1939, when the dynamo was removed.[3] During the Second World War, the mill was occupied by a special branch of the WRNS.[4] Repairs were done to the mill in 1969 by millwrights Vincent Pargeter and Philip Lennard. These included a new fantail and repairs to the sails.[3]
Description edit
St Margaret's Bay Windmill is a three-storey smock mill on a single-storey brick base. It has four patent sails and is winded by a fantail.[2] The mill generated electricity via a dynamo and is now used as residential accommodation, a use it has always had.[3]
See also edit
- South Foreland lighthouse is a few hundred metres away
References edit
- ^ Historic England. "ST MARGARET'S BAY WINDMILL, THE FRONT, ST MARGARETS AT CLIFFE, DOVER, KENT (1101503)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
- ^ a b Coles Finch, William (1933). Watermills and Windmills. London: C W Daniel Company. p. 268.
- ^ a b c West, Jenny (1973). The Windmills of Kent. London: Charles Skilton Ltd. pp. 67–68. ISBN 0-284-98534-1.
- ^ Brown, R J (1976). Windmills of England. London: Robert Hale. pp. 108–09. ISBN 0-7091-5641-3.
External links edit
- Windmill World page on the mill