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NGR: TQ230725smock mill (previously hollow post mill) function:Corn mill - Much altered from its working appearance. Now a milling museum and regularly open.
Use in 1870's by the Rifle Association: Old and New London: Volume 6. Cassell, Petter & Galpin, London, 1878.
Southward, Putney Heath merges itself into the more extensive area of Wimbledon Common; but our limited space will not allow of our saying more of this interesting locality than that every July it is the scene of the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association. The old windmill, formerly a picturesque object on the breezy common, has been converted into the head-quarters of the Rifle Association. These annual gatherings are attended by the elite of fashion, and always include a large number of ladies, who generally evince the greatest interest in the target practice of the various competitors, whether it be for the honour of carrying off the Elcho Shield, the Queen's or the Prince of Wales's Prize, or the shield shot for by our great Public Schools, or the Annual Rifle Match between the Houses of Lords and Commons.
Entry in Mills Archive database - #2598 - Wimbledon Windmill, Wimbledon Common (has photos)
[English Heritage] [English Heritage] [English Heritage]This Grade II* listed windmill was built in 1817. It is built in the form of a hollow post mill, which is unique in today’s times. It is also a museum devoted entirely to the history of the English windmill, and you can see some excellent models showing all the different types. New sails have been added recently and - with the shutters in place - this now allows the sails to turn and be controlled.
The mill last worked in 1864. The machinery was then removed, and the mill was repurposed as accommodation. Today however, there is a good display of how the mill would have worked.
The mill shares some claims to fame. In 1908 Lord Baden Powell wrote part of his book of ‘Scouting For Boys’ when he was living in the mill house. It also became well known some years back thanks to the popular children’s television series, ‘The Wombles’ (of Wimbledon Common).
The mill is now run by Wimbledon Windmill Museum, a registered charity, and volunteers help in the shop and show visitors around.
Heritage Lottery Fund - £88500 : 02 Jun 1998 : Wimbledon Windmill Restoration
'Windmill on Wimbledon Common', 1880. An illustration from Windsor Castle and the Water-Way Thither by W H Davenport Adams, published by Marcus Ward and Co, (London, 1880).
'The Windmill, Wimbledon Common', c1910. [Shurey's Publications, c1910]
Wimbledon Common', 1912, (1914). Wimbledon Common, Wimbledon, London. From A Pilgrimage In Surrey, Vol. 2, by James S. Ogilvy. [George Routledge and Sons Limited, London, 1914]
Post mill, Wimbledon Common, near London, c1840. This mill has a fantail and a gallery giving access to the sails and external mechanism.
Wimbledon Common and the Windmill', c1900, (1912). Wimbledon Windmill, in 1816, Charles March, a carpenter of Roehampton gained permission to build the windmill, completing the project in 1817. From London - South of the Thames, by Sir Walter Besant. [Adam and Charles Black, London, 1912]
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| name | Wimbledon Windmill |
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| drive type recent | |
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| map location | 51.437670,-0.231625 |
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| description | Built in 1817 as a hollow post mill, now serving as a milling museum |
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| Last updated 17/02/2026 | Text and images © Mark Berry, 1997-2026 - |
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