__NOTOC__ Quainton Windmill is a historic

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in so ...

in the village of

Quainton Quainton (formerly Quainton Malet)Plea rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; National Archives; CP 40/647; 7th entry, with "North" in the margin; the defendant, Richard Longe is of Quenton Malet is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, E ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-eas ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The 70 ft (20m) six-storey brick

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 T ...

, built 1830–32, is one of the most visible buildings in the village.Windmill — Quainton, BuckinghamshireEngineering Timeslines
. It was derelict for most of the 20th century it has now been restored and can grind wheat into flour. The windmill was built by James Anstiss and it is still owned by his direct descendants. It is the tallest windmill in Buckinghamshire. The mill had a

steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be ...

installed early in its working life. Until 1881, it was wind-driven, but milling came to an end in 1900. The building remained unused as a mill, without a cap or sails, until 1974, when the owner formed the Quainton Windmill Society, with the aim of restoring the windmill. The Society spent 23 years undertaking restoration work. In 1997, milling was re-established. In 2013 English Heritage and The Department of Culture, Media and Sport have upgraded the listing status of the mill from Grade II to Grade II*English Heritage - The National Heritage List for England - List entry 1117824
/ref> for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: the windmill reflects in its design and machinery the specific function it was intended to fulfil and how it was adapted to meet changes in technology and in the economy; * Intactness: the original mill machinery and fittings are intact and in working order; * Rarity: it is an example of a tall six-storey windmill and is the third tallest windmill in England. It was altered to be operated by an auxiliary steam engine which unusually was placed within the structure of the mill. An external survey was carried out on 2 October by Oxley Conservation and Bonwick Milling Heritage Consultancy. Using a giant “cherry- picker” enabling them to closely examine the structure of the mill and to provide a detailed report of its condition. The report states: ‘The extent of decay suffered is such that the head frame timbers have been significantly weakened and will be particularly vulnerable to failure in adverse weather conditions igh winds this risk is heightened by the sails and fantail which will exert tremendous forces on the timbers.’ With have agreement of English Heritage and the A.V.D.C. Historic Building Risk Officer the Sails and the Fantail were removed in December 2013 to reduce the stress on the timbers. The mill is open Sundays between 10am and 12.30pm between March and October.

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External links

Quainton Windmill images
{{Commons category-inline Windmills completed in 1832 1997 establishments in the United Kingdom Windmills in Buckinghamshire Museums in Buckinghamshire Mill museums in England

See also

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