Wimbledon Windmill - History

History

An application to build a windmill on the Common was denied in 1799 when the applicant, one John Watney, failed to produce plans for the proposed mill when requested. In 1816, Charles March, a carpenter of Roehampton applied for permission to build a windmill. The request was granted the following year and the mill was built. The mill stopped working in 1864, when the miller was evicted by the Lord of the Manor, Earl Spencer, who wanted to enclose the common for his own use. The miller insisted on removing most of the machinery so that the mill could not be operated in competition with his other mills at Kingston. The main mill building was rebuilt with brickwork to provide living accommodation. The enclosure of the common was strongly opposed by the local people, who successfully got the 1871 Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act passed, handing the care of the commons to elected and appointed conservators. In 1892, tenders for the repair of the mill were sought by the Commons Conservators, and Messrs. Sanderson & Sons tender of £240 was accepted. Royal Wimbledon Golf Club contributed £50 towards the cost of the repairs. During repairs, it was discovered that the main Post and Crosstrees were rotten and Sandersons proposed converting the mill to a smock mill, at a total cost of £350. The work was reported as being complete in November 1893. The original Patent sails were replaced by a shorter set of sails with fixed shutters. After the loss of a sail in the 1920s another set of sails with fewer shutters was placed on the mill. During World War II, the mill was camouflaged with a drab green scheme to reduce its visibility, as it was in close proximity to army camps set up on the Common. The mill was repainted after the war ended, but the sails were stopped in 1946 due to excessive wear in the gearing. In 1952, the mill was inspected and a list of repairs drawn up. After a public appeal in 1954 to raise funds, the mill was restored and the sails turned again on 25 May 1957. The mill was restored again in 1975 and turned into a museum. In 1999 a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled the Patent sails to be restored to working order. The museum, initially only on one floor but extended to two in 1999, depicts the story of windmills from their early origins up to the present day, using models, examples of machinery and tools of the trade. A room from one of the smaller apartments is preserved to illustrate how the building was used as accommodation. It is no longer a working mill, but a finely detailed model shows the machinery as it was in its working days.