The day was gloriously sunny and warm (at least in the South of England), and this brought people out in large numbers to a number of mills.
(My apologies to the watermill fraternity - there were many fine watermills open on the day, but I failed to find the time to visit them. All the photos that follow are therefore of windmills...)
Now used as a church! Not normally open (except for Church services), but
the key to the church in the roundhouse can be obtained from the adjacent
Golf Club. Unfortunately the mill itself was suffering from a broken sail.
Moved from just a few miles down the road in 1987-9, this mill has been
substantially restored.
Amongst the mills open for the 1998 event were the following:
Full details of such mills can be found in the SPAB's publication,
Mills Open, which is available from
SPAB Mills Section, 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY,
price £4 (plus £1 postage UK) by cheque or postal order
payable to SPAB Mills Section.
Nutley Windmill, East Sussex
Nutley also had a vintage car around to add to the atmosphere, and the sails
were covered in canvas, and turning in the light breeze.
Reigate Heath
Lowfield Heath mill, Charlwood, Surrey
Argos Hill, Mayfield, East Sussex
Chailey, East Sussex
Other mills not open for the day, but passed on the way!
Wray Common, Reigate, Surrey
Residential conversion.
Brixton, London
Open by appointment only.
Heritage Open Days 12-13 September 1998
Another opportunity to visit mills, and indeed all sorts of facinating
building, many of which are not normally open to the public, is the
Heritage Weekend, co-ordinated by The Civic Trust.
Shirley Windmill, Croydon
Buckland Windmill, Yewdells, Buckland, Surrey
Small victorian windmill c1870 designed as a sawmill for the Buckland Estate.
Currently undergoing extensive restoration, from the "kit-bag" of parts that
the current owner discovered in the "woodshed" when he moved in!
Lowfield Heath, Surrey
This mill was open again, and was now sporting its complete set of 4 sails,
(compared to to 2 sails and 2 bare stocks for Mills Day).
If you missed the 1998 events...
If you missed Mills Day in 1998, then the
1999 event is the weekend of
8th and 9th May, or alternatively many mills are open at other times
throughout the year (though normally without the carnival atmosphere!).
Cover photograph Shipley Windmill, West Sussex, by Jim Woodward-Nutt.
| Last updated 16/09/2025 | Text and images © Mark Berry, 1997-2025 - |