smock mill
function:Corn mill
-
cosmetically restored for a starring part in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".
Ibstone windmill, a smock mill, last worked during the First World War.
However it gained a new lease of life in 1967 when it was fitted with mock
sails and fantail in preparation for its appearance in the feature film
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as the workshop of the inventor,
Caractacus Potts. (And based on visual evidence from the film, the sails
were remarkably efficient, managing to keep the mill turning at all times
of the day or night, despite the absence of sailcloth, and scarcely
needing any wind at all to turn!)
Caractacus Potts, with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in his yard., From The Adventures of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - A Special Motion-Picture
Edition by Albert G Miller, published by Collins in 1968.
Truly Scruptious taking Jeremy and Jemima home., From The Adventures of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - A Special Motion-Picture
Edition by Albert G Miller, published by Collins in 1968.
Truly Scruptious inspects the windmill.
(Note that this image has been printed reversed left to right!
- the sails are the other way round compared to the other pictures).
, From The Adventures of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - A Special Motion-Picture
Edition by Albert G Miller, published by Collins in 1968.
Country Life magazine cover showing a distant view of Ibstone windmill, issue 8/2/2012 Country Life
A three-storey, twelve sided smock mill with an ogee cap. It worked until 1910, after which it was converted into a summer residence, belonging to St John's College, Oxford. It was provided with mock sails for use in the film
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968. It was renovated and converted into a house again in the 1970s for Hayley Mills.
Photos: (1) Major and Watts (a) disused and becoming derelict, with 4 sails (2) NMR (a-j) disused and becoming derelict, with 4 sails (k) after house conversion, with sails and cap restored (3) Vince (MAM) (a) view of cap and fantail after restoration, 1977 (4) Vince (WIBATC) (a) house-converted, with sails missing (5) NMR (WC) (a) derelict with cap, stocks and one damaged sail visible, 1924 (6) BCRALSS (a) house-converted, with "chimney" on cap, stocks propped up and one sail frame, 1937 (b) house converted, 1941, with cap, 3 and a half stocks and parts of sails (c) house-converted with cap and sails, c1967 (d) as house-converted, 1982: looking up at restored cap, sails and fan (e-g) restored as house conversion, 1982 (7) HWL (a) rear view, early C20, with stocks, damaged sails and fanstage visible (b) early-mid C20 after house conversion with fan and fanstage removed, stocks and damaged sails still on (8) WM (a) disused before house-conversion, as HWL (b) house-converted, as HWL (9) A C Smith (WIBAO) (a) surrounded by scaffolding for rep-airs, August 1975 (b) house-converted without sails, June 1976 (10) Vince 1968 (a) with sails and fantail added for film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (11) UOK (MC) (a-b) house-converted with stocks and fragments of sails, August 1935 (12) MOTHOS (UC) (a-b) disused with stocks and two damaged sails, August 1912
The Old Mill, Fingest
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