Wilton Windmill

Wilton Windmill

Wilton Windmill is a landmark in the pretty Vale of Pewsey, and is the only working windmill in Wessex. The five-storey tower mill was erected in 1821 and remained in service for over a century until competition from steam roller mills forced it to close in the 1920s. The windmill was restored by the Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust in 1972 and has been milling flour regularly since 1976.

History

Wilton Windmill owes its existence to the Kennet and Avon Canal. Before the canal was built to connect the River Kennet to the River Avon, there were five watermills along this stretch of the Vale of Pewsey. The Canal diverted the water supply and lowered the river levels, leaving the mills literally powerless to grind grain. The Wilton Windmill replaced all five of the water-powered mills.

The mill is five storeys high and is made of brick, with a fantail to turn the windmill's cap into the wind. The gears and drive shafts were made of cast iron. Curiously, it was built with two patent sails and two common sails, for a total of four. Common sails are just a frame to stretch canvas over, and take time to set manually, while patent sails are made with louvres that can be activated as needed.

The restored cap

An automatic governor controlled the gap between the upper and lower grindstones. The mil suffered after the railway reached the Vale of Pewsey, and as the Industrial Revolution [literally] gathered steam it had difficulty competing with steam-powered mills.

The mill originally ground wheat, barley, oats, and rye as well as beans and peas. The original stones have been laid on the grass outside the mill.

On display inside the windmill is a collection of historical farm tools from the Lackham College Museum. When the museum closed in 2016 the tools were given to the Wilton Windmill Society.

One of the two patent sails

The Granary

In the windmill grounds is a beautifully-restored Victorian granary that originally stood on the Longleat Estate. The granary was built in the 1850s with an oak timber frame infilled with bricks, under a thatched roof of long straw. The granary was moved first to Lackham College and in 2018 was re-erected beside Wilton Windmill.

The granary is raised off the ground on nine staddle stones. These stones serve a dual purpose; their overhanging capstones make it hard for rodents to climb into the grain store, and by raising the building off the ground you allow better air circulation, which helps the grain to dry more quickly and thoroughly.

The thatched granary

Getting There

Wilton Windmill is on a minor road just east of Wilton village, off the A338 about six miles south-east of Marlborough. The mill is within easy walking distance of the Crofton Beam Engines and the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The windmill is open regularly for tours during the spring and summer. Visitors are also welcome to explore the mill exterior even when the interior is closed. We came on a sunny afternoon after the windmill had closed for the season, and even though we didn't get a chance to explore the mill interior we still enjoyed seeing it from the outside and enjoying the restored granary.