The Sails Are Back On The Windmill

After almost a year the sails have been put back onto the Heage windmill.

Wet rot was discovered last August in major structural parts of the windmill and the organisation were struggling to find a potential repair cost of around £100,000.

However, a site meeting of Trustees and Friends immediately decided that it must be repaired and set about raising the money. Fund raising and volunteer inputs brought the costs down to a more manageable £75K and the repair work started in November.

Piers Bostock, chairman of Heage Windmill Society, said: “We are delighted to have the six sails back in place in such a short time and would like to thank everyone who has made this possible.”

Last week saw a major event in the repair programme – the six sails were put back on the Grade2* listed mill. The sails, which had been painted and repaired by mill volunteers were carefully placed back. Work started at about 9-0am, with volunteers working with, and under the direction of our millwright Neil Medcalf, and together got the last one back shortly after 3-00pm.

Some quite detailed work will be needed to connect with the controls and mill stones. This should be completed by the end of the month and flour milling will then recommence.