Wrawby Postmill - Windmill
Wrawby, Lincolnshire
| Wrawby Postmill is a landmark that can be seen from miles around.
Constructed in 1760, the mill originally had common sails
(cloth-in-hand),
which have now disappeared. This was originally built as an open trestle
mill, although the site may well have been previously occupied by a mill.
The roundhouse, of the roofless 'Midland' type was erected in the early 19th
century and in this form the mill worked until 1940 by wind, and until the
late 40's by engine in an adjacent power mill that had been set up in 1914.
The mill has had several owners over the years and
was a working mill until the late 1940s when it fell into disuse and by 1961 was
at the point of total collapse and the then owners sought permission to demolish
it.
It has been entirely rebuilt, using some
original machinery and the post, largely by volunteers led by Jon Sass and
Edward Travis between 1962 and 1965. Using two second-hand sails from Halton
Holegate mill and shutters from Maud
Foster mill, Boston
 , flour was made once more in September 1965.
It is now the last surviving post mill in the the county and some say the north of England.
It originally had four common sails, then
gained two spring sails, ending up with a full set of spring sails, the last
original set being converted from patent sails off a mill at Laceby.
Winding is by tailpole and winch, with a lever to raise the steps clear of
the ground. The body, which like the trestle is very heavily timbered in
oak, is steadied by six rollers which run on a curb on the roundhouse wall. |
|
The four pitch pine sails at Wrawby span 60 feet, and the shades on the
sails are closed to catch the wind when the mill is working. The sails are
clamped to a large iron cross at the front of the windshaft, which has two large
elm gear wheels mounted on it. Coupled to these wheels are a set of French Burr
stones at the front turned by the brake wheel and used for grinding wheat, while
the Peak stones at the rear (turned by the tail wheel) are used mainly in the
production of animal feed.
All this machinery is enclosed within the 'buck' or main body of the mill, which
sits on the main post. The post in turn, is supported by a trestle which
comprises massive oak cross-trees and quarter bars resting on brick piers. The
brick round-house became part of the structure at Wrawby in the early part of
the l9th Century. The large steps at the rear of the mill are raised by the '
talthur' when the mill is turned into the wind, and the 30 ton mill is then
turned using the tailpost. Six cast iron rollers fixed to the timbers at the
base of the buck run on top of an oak curb on the round-house, and keep the
whole mill steady.
For more details of the internal workings see
Lincolnshire.gov.uk page on Wrawby Post Mill
When we visited
The windmill had only two sails on, but you can see where the other two fit.
The windmill is in a small paddock, when we
visited there was a horse in the adjoining paddock. The space within the paddock
is limited but there appears to be a footpath that runs down the edge of the
adjoining paddock that allows you to get back further so that you can take the
front, see below left. This gives a better perspective than using a wider angle
lens. The lane past the houses to get to it had many flowers on. The top picture
was taken from further along the same path, giving an even better perspective,
but when I visited this was not easy to get through as a fence had been put up
to keep the horse in allowing a very narrow path that was over grown.
Click on any of the pictures
below to see a larger version.
Further information Grid
Planning Grid
|
Location: |
Wrawby Postmill, Wrawby, Lincolnshire |
|
Grid Reference: |
TA 025087
OS
Sheet - 112 |
|
Getting there: |
One mile
north of Brigg on A18. |
|
Access: |
Access via
footpath and gateway. |
|
Parking: |
Parking in lay-by on main road, then walk up
road towards Mill Lane farm, windmill is on the right past houses and
bungalows. |
|
Facilities: |
|
|
Things To Do,
See and Photograph: |
|
|
What to take: |
|
|
Nature highlights: |
|
|
Address: |
|
|
Postcode: |
|
|
Telephone: |
Mrs S Day -
01652 653699 |
|
Opening times: |
Ground access open all the
time, so no problem photographing it
Mill and exhibition open
Bank
Holiday Mondays & last Sunday in June & July, 2pm- 5pm
Other times by arrangement.
see
also listing of days open
|
|
Charges: |
£1 adults, 50p children |
|
Photo Restrictions: |
None |
|
Other Restrictions: |
|
|
Special Needs Access: |
Site is level. |
|
Special Needs Facilities: |
|
|
Children Facilities: |
|
|
Dogs Allowed: |
|
|
CIN Page Ref: |
wrawby |
Date Updated: 05/2008 |
Please let us know any other information that we
can add to the Further information and Planning Grids or page and any errors that you discover. Before making a long trip to any location it is always
wise to double check the current information, websites like magazines may be
correct at the time the information is written, but things change and it is of
course impossible to double check all entries on a regular basis. If you have
any good photographs that you feel would improve the illustration of this page
then please let us have copies. In referring to this page it is helpful if you
quote the CIN Page Ref at the bottom of the Planning Grid above. To print the
planning grid select it then right click and print the selected area.
Please submit information on locations you discover so
that this system continues to grow.
|
