Wind power for wombles
Wimbledon Hollow Post Mill
Hollow post mills were very unusual in England although common in Holland.
A rare kind of mill
The Wimbledon mill was used to grind wheat and dates back to 1817. The mill ceased working in the 1860s. Now it is a museum and the sails can turn thanks to the latest restoration in 1999.
Solving the space problem
Early post mills were very cramped because the working space had to rotate with the sails.
In a hollow post mill the solution to this problem was to use a long iron shaft, running down through the centre of the post, to drive the millstones and other machinery in a larger working space on the ground.
The long shaft was driven by a large gear wheel connected to the sails at the top of the mill.
Exposing the works
There is a great spur wheel and 'wallower' beside the entrance to the Windmill Museum. These gears do not come from the Wimbledon Mill but from the Kingston Reed tower mill, Canterbury.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 21 January 2007
