Facelift looms for windmill

Highly respected traditional millwrights from I. J. P. Building Conser-vation will remove the timber from the top three floors of the Grade II listed mill, which was built around 1814, and take them to their workshops near Reading for authentic repair.

At 48ft, the unique landmark is the tallest mill in Sussex and the last in England to feature a once-popular 'centrifugal governor' system to control the sails (or 'sweeps', as they are known).

The Windmill Hill Windmill Trust, headed by Bee Frost, was set up about a year ago to raise funds to restore the mill to full working order.

Thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of 577,000 (the biggest such grant ever awarded to a windmill), a 50,000 donation from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and a recent grant of 90,000 from English Heritage, works can finally start this summer.

'At last, it's all coming together we're so pleased,' said Bee Frost. 'It's nice to see it become a building and restoration project, rather than a "finding the money" project!

'We hope to have it back up and working by about April 2005. Sadly, we still won't be able to grind grain with it because we couldn't get the extra funding for that, but the sweeps and the main body of the mill will turn once again.'

The millwrights will aim to use as much of the existing timber as they can to make it as authentic as possible. However, some pieces may have to be replaced.

To make the mill able to grind, further funds of 100,000-120,000 would be required.

'That is still our ultimate goal, to find the extra money,' said Bee. 'But for now, the team is in place to get this project moving at last. It will put Windmill Hill back on the map.'