This
coming weekend, 11 and 12 May, is National Mills Weekend, an annual event
organised by SPAB, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, to
celebrate Britain’s wind- and water-milling heritage.
 |
| Hog Hill windmill in East Sussex - on the list for closer investigation |
Wind and water mills, some not usually open to the public, creak open their doors and welcome visitors who want to explore their fascinating innards. This year the focus is ‘A nationwide celebration of Britain’s mills in pictorial form’. As the SPAB press release explains:
With their quirky shape,
elegant sails or distinctive waterwheels, it’s not surprising that windmills
and watermills appear so frequently in paintings and photographs, posters and
postcards. These instantly recognisable buildings feature in some of Britain’s
favourite works of art too: in a recent poll, John Constable’s The Hay Wain,
featuring Flatford Mill in Suffolk, was voted the nation’s second best-loved
painting.
Why not go and visit a mill near you this weekend? The SPAB website provides links to events up and down the country.
Not
being particularly handy with a pencil or paintbrush, my salute to Britain’s
mills is in the form of photographs. I’ve blogged about those I’ve seen in
Cheshire (watermills) and Sussex (windmills) and here in Glamorgan (one very
much neglected windmill ruin). Here’s the list so far (I already have plans to visit several more), with links to the
individual blog posts - just click on the mill's name if you want to read or see more.
In
Sussex, the Argos Hill windmill
In
Cheshire, two watermills: a mention and photos of Nether Alderley mill
and
a brief mention and a couple of photos of the watermill on the Dunham Massey Estate
In
Wales, the ruined and neglected and overgrown Hayes Farm windmill.
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