Shirley Windmill

Shirley Windmill was built by Richard Alwen in 1854 to replace the former post mill destroyed by fire. The post mill had been built in 1809 by Richard Alwen (Sr) and passed to Alwen on the death of his father in 1846. The post mill burnt down in October 1854. The mill is thought to have been brought from Stratford and re-erected. A date of 1740 on a beam in the windmill is evidence of re-use of materials from elsewhere. The mill cost £2,000 to build. Richard Alwen died in 1884, and the mill was taken by Thomas Dives, grandson of Richard Alwen Sr. The mill was abandoned in 1892 as unviable by Alfred Rayson, at the time being only used for grinding animal feed. and again in April 1906, when a…

Shirley Windmill is a five-storey brick tower mill. It has four double Patent sails carried on a cast-iron windshaft. The Kentish-style cap is winded by a fantail. The tower is 21 ft diameter at the base and 11 ft diameter at the curb. The mill is 55 ft high to the top of the cap. The iron Brake Wheel is 9 ft diameter and has 172 cogs. It drives an iron Wallower of 4 ft diameter with 75 teeth. The cast iron Upright Shaft is 25 ft long and has a dog clutch just below its midpoint, to allow the mill to be driven by engine without working the sails. The Great Spur Wheel is of iron, with wooden teeth, and drove two pairs of underdrift millstones.

The windmill is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month from June to October, 1 pm to 5pm, with tours organised by The Friends of Shirley Windmill. It is also open on Heritage day and National Mills Day. On weekdays tours can be prearranged.