Ok. Technically it is a post mill.
Medieval post mills were a remarkable feat of engineering and played a crucial role in the agricultural landscape of Europe from the 12th century onwards. These windmills were the earliest type of European windmill, characterized by their entire body being mounted on a single central vertical post. This design allowed the mill to be rotated to face the wind, maximising efficiency in grain milling. It also freed the miller from the necessity of being near flowing water.
And in St Margaret’s Church in King’s Lynn there is a memorial brass that has a post mill in it. The brass depicts a King’s Lynn Merchant, Adam de Walsoken and his wife, and dates from the around 1349. The post mill is one of the earliest representations of a windmill in European art. (See HERE.)
Underneath Adam’s right foot is a scene showing a rider on a horse approaching the post mill.
Deborah Harlan, Megan Price (2013) HMJ Underhill Archive [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1000234
Post Mill Construction
The construction of a post mill involved a wooden frame covered with shingles or boards, forming a structure similar to a truncated pyramid. The central post, often supported by additional struts, was partly buried in the ground for stability. This innovative design allowed the mill’s sails to be oriented towards the wind, enabling the grinding of grain between two millstones.
The top stone, known as the runner stone, was moved by gears attached to the central post, while the bottom stone remained stationary.
Post mills were predominantly made of wood, making them susceptible to damage from strong winds and fires, as flour dust is highly flammable. Despite these risks, they remained popular until the 19th century when tower mills began to replace them due to their more robust construction and greater storage capacity.
© James Rye 2024
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Sources
- Webster, J.R.W. (1995) Two Great Brasses, St Margaret’s Leaflet
- Site of medieval windmill discovered in England – Medievalists.net https://www.medievalists.net/2024/05/site-of-medieval-windmill-discovered-in-england/
- Post mill – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_mill
- Archaeologists unearth moated medieval windmill in England https://archaeologymag.com/2024/05/medieval-windmill-in-england/
- Moraczewo – post mills – Ancient and medieval architecture https://medievalheritage.eu/en/main-page/heritage/poland/moraczewo-post-mills/
- Technical descriptions of English windmills – The Mills Archive https://new.millsarchive.org/2019/09/13/technical-descriptions-of-english-windmills/2/
- X marks the spot as Cherry Hinton’s medieval windmills found – BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gg1vxrjpyo
- The English Medieval Windmill | History Today https://www.historytoday.com/archive/english-medieval-windmill
- The excavation of a medieval or early post-medieval windmill at Flixton Park Quarry https://suffolkinstitute.pdfsrv.co.uk/customers/Suffolk%20Institute/2017/04/24/Volume%2043%20Part%201%20%282013%29_The%20Excavation%20of%20Medieval%20of%20Early%20Post-Medieval%20Windmill%20at%20Flixton%20Park%20Quarry%20by%20Stuart%20Boulter_68%20to%2074.pdf