This is on top of the wolds just off the A18, near the small market town of Brigg. The windmill stands out on the skyline. There has been a mill on the site since the 16thC and it was working until the Second World War. A sail broke and there was no suitable wood to replace it. The windmill fell into repair but has been restored to its former glory by a trust. It is now open on Bank Holiday Mondays and the last Sunday in June and July. At other times there is free access to the site and you can walk round the outside of the mill.
There are superb views across to the Trent Valley and down as far as Lincoln on a clear day.
There are four sails. Two have shutters providing power and strength. The other two have sails for speed. The angle of the shutters is controlled by a lever at the bottom of the sail.
The base of the windmill is painted black and was used for storage. On open days, entrance money is collected here. There are postcards and a few gifts for sale as well as bags of stone ground flour from nearby Waltham Mill. This was quite expensive but makes excellent bread. There is also a small hand quern. This is hard work and would have taken a long time to make enough flour for the housewife.
Steep stairs lead up to the post mill where a shute brings freshly ground flour into bags. A steep ladder leads to the grind stones in the room at the top. There is little space here and you have to watch your head against the rotating beam. Two large wooden cog wheels turn the grind stones.
The mill is not set up to grind flour at the moment. As it is rarely used, the first grindings would not be clean enough for human use. In the floor is the trap door through which bags of grain could be lifted.
Hot drinks, cakes and scones were on sale for very reasonable prices. Enthusiastic volunteers were knowledgeable and enjoyed talking to visitors. These were mainly silver travellers but there were a few families with small children.
This was an enjoyable visit and it was nice to see the mill working. Volunteers were checking on the sails, altering the angle of the shutters and also moving the top of the mill round so the sails caught all of the wind.
