Much Loved And Improved Bembridge Windmill Reopens On Isle Of Wight

Friday, 14 May 2021 06:00

By Iona Stewart-Richardson @IslandIona

Bembridge Windmill - with the former sweeps

Visitors will soon be able to visit the new and improved Bembridge Windmill, which reopens to the public next week (Tuesday).

Scroll for pictures...

As exclusively reported by Isle of Wight Radio, the National Trust upgraded the Island’s last surviving windmill in March - meaning it shouldn’t need a restoration for another 30 years.

The upgrade of the Island's last surviving windmill is a rarity, especially as there are only around 40 to 50 left in the country!

It involved the installation of sweeps (also known as sails) after their timber beam supports rotted prior to the pandemic.

A cherry picker crane was used to lift the heavy sails and their 11m beams nearly 50ft in the air and bolt them into position on the Grade I listed site.

Father and son millwrights Geoff and John Wallis, from Dorothea Restorations, took several days to complete the complex job.

The last time the sweeps were removed because of rotting - by the same duo - was in 2018.

The cost of removing, building and installing the sweeps cost £38,000 - one third was given as a grant from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Photo thanks to Helen Abell

History of the Windmill

In the early 1700s, when Bembridge was almost an island in its own right the windmill was built.

For two centuries the windmill provided a service for the local community and work for generations of millers.

Little is known about the millers although in January 1811 the Hampshire Chronicle reported that 'Mr Cook, miller of Bembridge [was] found frozen to death by his own mill'.

Built in the early 1700s, Bembridge Windmill is a treasured and much-loved local feature and an important part of the Island’s industrial past. For over 200 years, this little industrial gem has served its community.

Poignantly, milling stopped and never resumed when the men left to fight in the Great War. In more recent years, the mill has been a wartime shelter, a Home Guard HQ, and has faced dereliction.

It was rescued by the National Trust in 1961 and this year celebrates its 60th anniversary in the care of the conservation charity.

Nestled in the quiet corner of a field, Bembridge Windmill is perched high enough for its sails to be seen across the surrounding countryside – a view that remains almost unchanged since it was immortalised in watercolour by JMW Turner in 1795.

Speaking Exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio about the upgrade, Operations Manager at National Trust, Kathryn Wilson said:

'It's a grade one listed building so we have a duty to look after it and make sure it is still part of the wonderful landscape. It was painted by Turner - an unfinished painting. It is just really important to look after it for future generations - the work will be finished by Friday and we are hoping everything will last for around 30 to 40 years.

"When I first came to the windmill, I just fell in love with it - it is such a wonderful, iconic building, inside it still has its original machinery.”

How to visit?

Tickets are now on sale!

You can visit the windmill on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays by pre-booked ticket only, from 10.45am – 5pm.

Islanders can book a 30 minute introductory tour followed by 30 minutes to explore on your own, which includes taking the stairs right to the very top.

The tours run on the hour every hour between 11am and 4pm and will delve into the history of this iconic landmark.

Visitors will find out how milling was carried out, and how the grain made its way from top to bottom of the mill

For the time being, only pre-booked tickets will be accepted as the mill can only take six people every hour so booking will avoid disappointment!

From today (Friday) you can book your visiting slot HERE