Did you know this about
Lincolnshire windmills and watermills?
Did you Know?
Among our earliest examples of industrial architecture and still the most beautiful, there are many working mills in Lincolnshire symbolising the link between farmer and baker. Our remaining working watermill is at Cogglesford, Sleaford. The first windmills were postmills, a wooden structure mounted on a post which could be turned manually to point the sails into the wind. A postmill survives at Wrawby near Brigg.
Lincolnshire mills have anything from four (Ellis Windmill) to eight sails (Heckington Windmill). Their sturdy brick towers covered with black tar to stop the rain. Topped with the white ‘onion’ cap, which despite weighing many tons only rests on top of the windmill and can be lifted off by violent winds. Their sails are even more vulnerable despite having shutters which can be opened to allow wind to blow straight through on stormy days. Visit a mill to buy traditionally stone-ground flour or to see them working, wind permitting!
