Ashton windmill is a

tower mill A tower mill is a type of vertical windmill consisting of a brick or stone tower, on which sits a wooden 'cap' or roof, which can rotate to bring the sails into the wind.Medieval science, technology, and medicine: an encyclopedia (2005), 520 Thi ...

Chapel Allerton Chapel Allerton is an inner suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, from the city centre. It sits within the Chapel Allerton ward of Leeds City Council and had a population of 18,206 and 23,536 at the 2001 and 2011 census respe ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, England. The mill has been designated by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

as a grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. The mill is a typical Somerset tower mill, built of coursed colour-washed rubble, with a revolving cap, tailfan and four sails. The tower is high, with walls thick and sails across. The last millstones were in diameter. The mill could grind of corn in an hour and was also used for grinding beans for cattle feed. It is the only windmill in Somerset with a complete set of working machinery. The mill is opened two afternoons a week in summer by a group of local volunteers and is free to visit, although donations are welcome.

History

The history of the mill is well documented, with the earliest known record of a mill on the site in 1317. This would probably have been a postmill. The millers from 1737 to 1927 are recorded, and one of the last workers, Tom Petheram, has recorded reminiscences of life at the mill. The present structure was built in the 1760s by the Paine family, apparently reusing timbers from the previous structure. For a short period around the 1890s it was powered by steam. In 1900 the mill was extensively renovated by its then owner, John Stevens. The machinery was replaced with that from Moorlinch Mill, the original thatch was reframed and clad with corrugated iron, two of the broad sails were replaced with spring sails and iron hoops around the building were added. Ashton Windmill ceased to operate in 1927 because of lower corn prices and competition from large steam-powered mills. During World War Two the mill was used as a Home Guard post. The mill was renovated in 1958, when the stonework was restored and a new boat-shaped roof, new doors and new sails were fitted. The structure and interior were extensively restored in 1979, and new steel stocks were fitted in 2009. The mill passed to Bristol City Museum in 1966 and Sedgemoor District Council, acquired the mill in 1981; it is now owned by Somerset Council.

References

External links

Allerton Villages website
opening hours and volunteers' committee
Somerset Council
owners of Ashton Windmill {{Authority control Museums in Somerset Mill museums in England Windmills in Somerset Grade II* listed buildings in Sedgemoor Tower mills in the United Kingdom Grinding mills in the United Kingdom Grade II* listed windmills