Pitstone Windmill, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard, Buckinghamshire, LU7 9ER
Pitstone Windmill is a Grade II* listed windmill which is thought to date from the early 17th century. It stands in the north-east corner of a large field near the parish boundary of Ivinghoe and Pitstone in Buckinghamshire, and belongs today to the National Trust.
It is thought to have been first built circa 1627 as this date is carved on part of the framework. This is the earliest date to be found on any windmill in the British Isles. It should be remembered that such a structure would have had to have frequent repairs made to it, so it is quite possible the mill predates 1627.
For many hundreds of years grain grown in the two adjoining villages was ground at the mill into flour. In 1874 the mill was bought by Adelbert Wellington Brownlow Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow who owned the nearby Ashridge Estate. He subsequently let it to a local farmer, who ran a successful milling business from the mill.
In 1902 the mill was seriously damaged during an enormous gale, damaging it beyond the price of economic repair. Around 1922 the derelict ruined mill was bought from the Ashridge Estate by a farmer whose land was close to the mill. In 1937 he donated it to the National Trust. However, it was not until 1963 that a band of volunteers began to carry out renovations at their own expense. The mill appeared in an episode of The Champions titled The Invisible Man which was filmed in 1967.[2]In 1970, after an interlude of 68 years, the mill once again ground corn.
Today the windmill is open to the public on Summer Sunday afternoons.
The design of the mill is what is known as a post mill. This means the whole superstructure of the mill rests on one main post. This post arises from ground level through brick and a foundation chamber; the post then acts as a pivot for the timber built structure above with the sails. Consequently, the upper section of the mill and sails could be turned towards the direction of the wind (reinforcements added in the 20th century now prevent the upper section from turning). The mill machinery in the upper rotating section was reached by a long flight of external steps.
If you approach Pitstone post mill via the surrounding Chiltern countryside, you will get the most magical view which changes with the seasons, making it worth a visit even when the mill is closed.
A little bit of history
Inside the mill
Make a day of it
Pistone Windmill Through The Ages
Although the exact date of when Pitstone Windmill was built is unknown, it is acknowledged to be one of the oldest post mills in Britain. The date 1697 is thought to relate to a time when was refurbished.
When the Pitstone story began
The date of 1697 is the oldest of several found inscribed in the woodwork of the mill building. However, as structures such as this would have undergone frequent repairs it is generally thought that the mill was built earlier than this and that this inscription may refer to the date of a refurbishment.
Whether or not the assertion that the mill is older than 1627 is true this date still makes the Pitstone Windmill several years older than the similar ‘post mill’ at Bourn in Cambridgeshire.
A lucrative asset
Pitstone Windmill was used from its earliest days to mill grain, grown in the nearby villages, into flour. Village mills like this one were once an essential service within a community so it is no surprise that the mill has a history of providing a lucrative income for its owners and tenants.
Although the industrial revolution began to undermine the importance of a local mill through the advent of mass production, investment in the Pitstone Windmill continued.
During the 19th century much of the machinery was replaced by the Canal Company, who owned the mill until 1842, or by Francis Beesley, who sold it for £400 in 1874 to the third Earl Brownlow, owner of the nearby Ashridge Estate.
Lord Brownlow subsequently let it to a local farmer, Hawkins of Pitstone Green Farm, who ran a successful business from it and oversaw further repairs in 1895.
Nearly lost
In 1902 a fierce gale caused extensive damage. The sails were not turned in time and blew forward, causing the tail bearing to fly through the roof and the sails to crash into the round house walls.
This event put the Pitstone Windmill beyond economic repair and it was left to decay. A combination of the elements and opportunists caused the loss of many of its constituent parts.
In 1924 the Ashridge Estate was broken up and the mill was sold off. Pitstone Windmill was bought by its tenants, the Hawkins family.
The Hawkins were unable to save the windmill themselves and in 1937 they donated it, and access to it, to the National Trust.
We endeavoured to stabilise the windmill but this initially came at the expense of its character.
Pitstone Mill saved
In 1963 the Pitstone Windmill Restoration Committee was founded to raise the funds and manpower to repair the windmill. This work reinforced existing materials and used old photographs and local memories to repair and replace the interior and exterior.
By 1970 the Pitstone Windmill was again able to grind corn. Although possible today, the sails are not active as they cause extreme shaking.
We now carry out maintenance work with the help of specialists on an annual basis. Most recently the paintwork was improved and a number of minor tasks were undertaken in November 2012.