Plans for restoration of Fulbourn windmill 🌍

In 2020, the Wrights Clock Land charity sold half its land resulting in an enormous windfall, far in excess of the existing charity's needs. They thus registered a new charity, with widened objectives within the Fulborn parish. As a result, the new charity paid for a detailed Condition Report on the state of Fulbourn Windmill.

Subsequent to that, the charity has agreed to fund the mill restoration, subject to a strict set of conditions, including putting the windmill on a firm legal position, with an properly registered charitable trust, and a 99 year lease on the mill. The BBC reports that the mill has been owned by Ian Harrison since 2006, who has rebuilt its sails, but the discovery that the tower frame distortion meant the fantail was unable to turn the cap to wind, which mean that further self funded restoration work was unaffordable. Mr Harrison and his wife were happy to lease the mill in this way, saying

We also have to recognise that it sits in our garden and we won't be living in the house for the next 99 years, so we have got to think about looking after the interests of future generations as well.

A Planning application and Listed Building Consent have been submitted for

Repairs and alterations to existing windmill to enable it to run for demonstration purposes and related works including Change of Use together with the erection of a single storey extension to the existing domestic garage.

In more detail, the proposal listed are

EXISTING GARAGE

• to be extended to provide disabled wc, kitchenette and tool store, new brickwork to match existing in colour, texture, gauge and pointing, new rooftiles to match existing

EXTERNAL MILL REPAIRS

• reinstatement of former finial and gallery handrails (both already on site)
• replacement of existing copper cap covering with new copper (existing is likely to be damaged when the cap is craned off)
• stripping and replacing of weatherboarding with white painted weatherboarding of similar gauge to existing, including painted aluminium soakers at mitres
• alterations to fenestration (see detail drawings)
• fan stage rotten timbers to be replaced with matching new
• cast iron rack (concealed by petticoat) sections where broken to be replaced with matching castings
• half a set of sail shutters to be covered either with traditional paint-soaked canvas or man-made “Panama” rot-proof canvas

INTERNAL MILL REPAIRS

• remains of existing sole plate (which has largely been replaced in concrete) to be removed and replaced with new oak soleplate
• existing cant posts and framing timbers (many rotten, incomplete, or resin repaired) to be replaced in new oak
• kerb ring to be replaced in larger section timber

INTERNAL MILL ALTERATIONS

• new ground to first floor staircase, necessitating removal of a small area of first floor
• some machinery is painted silver, which is not traditional; either over-paint or chemically remove. Cast iron components to be finished either red oxide or a hammered black finish

The garage extension with its disabled WC, kitchenette, and tool shed, are to allow for visitor and volunteer needs to be met without imposing on the house in whose grounds the mill sits. Whilst most comments are supportive, there have been some questions on the highway impact of having public visitors to this site, which are being clarified. The SPAB has also questioned the plan to install the secondary set of stairs, including a stairlift, which would necessitate removal of a significant amount of historic material, which is unreversible, and disproportional to the benefit offered.

The planning documents include a full structural condition statement, prepared by Stuart Armitage, who has prevously worked on mills at Bourn, Kersey, Ludham, Nottingham, Great Gransden and Drinkstone amongst others. Reference is also made to [Luke] Bonwick's 2022 Condition Assessment and Conservation Plan, though that is not in the submitted documents.