Windmills and Watermills

The map of Windmills & Watermills shows locations of traditional wind and water power in the UK.  The Hardley Marshes windmill in Norfolk is one of 10 surviving thatched windmills in Britain. It is often open to the public.  The main attraction at the mill is its wind-driven mechanism.

Sleaford Windmill in  Lincolnshire is the only surviving late 17th-century mill in England powered by a belt and gearing system. The building was originally a fulling mill, producing cloth and later a paper mill, before mining in the area required it to be converted. The sails and internal arrangement of the previous use are still quite visible despite extensive remodelling.

Avoncroft Windmill and Historic Buildings of Greater Manchester is at Upton Warren near Cheylesmore. Opened in April 1853, this wheel continues to grind corn today, making it the oldest operating windmill in the country. The miller's original machinery is still in place, and the mill also benefits from an award-winning educational programme.

Brixton Windmill is a well known Tower mill in Brixton, London.  The windmill was built in 1816 by Dutch grindstones manufacturer Peter van Elswijk.  The Grade II listed building was used to mill flour until 1871. It ceased milling in 1890 but continued to be used for various industrial purposes, including serving the adjacent Brixton Prison and sheltering residents who had been rendered homeless by enemy action.

Caudwell watermill is a water mill on the river Dunsop near Delamere, Cheshire. The present mill building dates from the 16th century, although there is evidence of an earlier post-medieval mill building on the site. It was restored in 1907. Today, the watermill is privately owned and not open to the public, but it is clearly visible from a public bridleway that runs alongside the mill building. A spring starts behind this building, which is about halfway up the valley on the east side.

Claythorpe Watermill and Wildfowl Gardens is a gorgeous spot in the lovely Lincolnshire countryside.  They are home to scores of free-roaming birds and waterfowl.  A visit to Claythorpe, you will meet owls and animals, with pheasants and peacocks, as well as family of otters. At the start of 2015, they completed a major refurbishment of pheasant, otter and wallaby enclosures, along with a newly landscaped courtyard.You’ll find marmosets, wallabies and chipmunks, and you can buy fish food when the trout in the mill pond are hungry.

Green's Windmill and Science Centre is a working windmill and associated science museum about the mathematician George Green in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.  Built in 1807, by the father of mathematician George Green, this restored working brick windmill is located on a ridge overlooking the river Trent valley. Inside visitors can see the two pairs of millstones and inner workings and can see the process of flour making in action. A Science centre next to the mill tells the story of George Green and his work and the history of mill.Green’s Windmill and Science Centre continues to be fully open five days a week (Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm each day) and you do not need to book to visit.