Cranbrook Mill was built in 1814 for Mary Dobell by the millwright James Humphrey. In 1832 the mill passed into the hands of John and George Russell. It is listed Grade I and is restored to full working order.
It is a three storey smock mill built on a four storey base. Originally the mill had common sails and the cap turned to wind by hand with a chain and Y-wheel. In 1840 the mill was brought up to date and modernised with the millwrights Medhurst of Lewes fitting a new iron wind shaft and Cubitt’s patent sweeps. Following this the millwrights Warrens of Hawkhurst fitted a fantail. It has eight sides, four double patent sails attached to a cast iron wind shaft and an eight bladed fan tail. There are three sets of millstones of the following diameter: 4ft, 4ft 4ins and 4ft 6ins.
As the wind was unreliable, a steam power was installed from 1863 to 1919 then a gas engine from 1919 to 1954. Since then an electric motor is used for auxiliary power.
In 1958 the mill was taken over by Kent County Council who, with the support of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, put the mill back into good repair by the Dutch Millwrights, Christiaan Bremer and his team from Adorp in The Netherlands.
In 2002-2003 work was carried out, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. New sweeps of typical Kentish style were built and fitted along with major work to the rest of the mill.
The mill is now run and managed by Volunteers of the Cranbrook Windmill Association, which was set up in 1982.
Illustrations from English Windmills by I M Batten (1930), The Architectural Press for The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings EWv1_Cranbrook.jpg
Illustrations from Watermills and Windmills, William Coles Finch (1933), London, C W Daniel Company WW_Cranbrook_Union.jpg
Photos: (1) Wailes (ASBOWAW) (a) w/o (b) John Russell pulling on striking chain (c) part of sail and wooden jacks used for repairs to sails (2) Vince 1968 (a) w/o (3) Freese (a) w/o (4) Coles Finch (a) w/o (5) Hopkins (a) w/o (6) Batten (a) w/o (7) Turpin (WIK) (a-b) w/o (8) Hills (a) as preserved, May 1990 (9) NMR (a) w/o, August 1935 (b) w/o, May 1940 (c+) further views not available for inspection at time of compiler's visit (10) NMR (WC) (a+) important collection of colour slides showing restoration of mill in the 1950s (11) de Little 2 (a) detail of sails, 1990s (12) CKS (a-c) w/o (d) w/o, as West (e) w/o, 1978 (f) preserved with shutters and fan missing (g-j) internal views, 1978 (k) detail of sail (13) Dunn (see Folkestone Millfield) (a) w/o, c1905 (b) w/o, 1906 (14) Wailes (WIE) (a) w/o (b) newly dressed peak bedstone (15) Reynolds (a-b) w/o (c) view of cap, fantail, striking wheel and guide pole, and chainwheel (16) Vince 1993 (a) w/o, mid-late C20 (17) West (a) w/o (b) John Russell lifting runner stone for dressing (c) Mr Hicks stone dressing in the mill (18) Haselfoot (a) w/o (19) Vince 1973 (a) w/o (20) Wailes (WIK) (a) w/o (21) Adams (a) w/o (b) w/o, aerial view (22) MM (a) w/o, October 1929 (23) UOK (MC) (a) w/o, August 1931 (b) w/o, August 1934 (c-d) w/o, August 1935 (e) base and stage, August 1935 (24) in the base of the mill is displayed a copy photograph of the mill with the original wide stage from which the common sails with which it was originally fitted were reefed
(W B Muggeridge plate glass negative)
Cranbrook, Kent
EWv1_Cranbrook.jpg
WW_Cranbrook_Union.jpg
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