Alan Derwent Caston (known as Derry) was born in March 1918. In the late 1930s, having left school he was living in Ilford, and attending a training college. As a keen rambler, he went out walking, and he made an effort to photograph windmills on his trips.
His photos are shown here thanks to his daughter Stella. Most are presented just how he composed them, but since they are such fine photos with great detail, in an effort to show you as much detail as possible, I have cropped and straightened a few of them partly to cut down on the bandwidth needed.
My thanks also to the people who emailed me, to help me identify the mills pictured.
Update: Jan 2012: I now have a further set of images from Alan Caston.
3 sails, becoming derelict.
No sails, but otherwise appears in a good state of repair.
4 sails, retaining shutters.
retaining sails
Derelict smock tower. Broken sails. Fantail with a missing blade.
Derelict - two and a half sails, in various broken states. No staging and broken windows. Cap incomplete. Fantail just a metal ring.
Mill was restored as a landmark in 1938, so these photos predate that.
Derelict - remains of two sails. Fantail gone.
Has 4 shutterless sails, but appears to be well maintained, and used for residential use - there is a chimney passing up from the tower, behind the sails.
A spectacular image of this mill, whilst still in working order.
The detail in this particular photo is very fine - see the various advertisments for dog food below.
4 sails, good state of repair.
Derelict with 2 sails. Smock has horizontal weatherboarding on lower part, but vertical on upper part.
Derelict with 4 damaged sails. Windows without frames.
4 sails.
4 sails, skeleton fantail
2 hideous sails
no sails
4 sails, with shutters. In good condition.
Shows furniture on millstones.
House converted
Just base of smock. Image straightened.
House converted truncated smock mill.
Thatched post mill roundhouse.
Buck mostly flat covered rather than weatherboarded. No sails. Can just see the remains of the advertisement for the "Mill Tea Rooms" painted on the side.
4 sails, with shutters.
4 sails. Base caries the advertisement "Daren Bread". Car in picture has number plate "ADY 7".
No sails
4 sails. Roof mounted fantail.
4 sails which look ok, but derelict fantail, and missing skirt from cap.
4 sails.
(Image from photo rather than negative, so lower quality). 4 sails with shutters. Fantail.
(Image from photo rather than negative, so lower quality). 4 sails. Mill body is covered in flat boarding.
(Image from photo rather than negative, so lower quality). 4 sails with shutters. Fantail.
(Image from photo rather than negative, so lower quality). 4 sails without shutters.
(Image from photo rather than negative, so lower quality). 4 sails without shutters.
| Last updated 03/03/2017 |
Text and images © Mark Berry,
1997-2017 -
Photos © Alan Caston |