Shirley Windmill is a working and the only surviving windmill in Shirley, in the London Borough of Croydon.
The tower windmill was built by Richard Alwenin in 1854 to replace the former post mill destroyed by fire. The current structure was abandoned in 1892, by then owner Alfred Rayson, as unviable, being only used for grinding animal feed. The windmill was struck by lightning in 1899 and again in 1906.The windmill was Grade II listed in 1951, it was probably the last large windmill to be built in Surrey. The structure is a five storeyed circular brick tower mill with 4 sweeps, cap and fantail. The lower windows had been blocked, at the time of listing, and in 1951, the machinery was believed to incorporate parts from an earlier mill, a date of 1740 was discovered in the 1927 restoration[1].
In 1951 the mill and land were acquired by the Croydon Corporation. The mill was threatened with demolition when the new John Ruskin School was built but it was protected by its listed status and strong public interest. The school, now John Ruskin College, later left the site and housing was built around the mill.
In August 1996, it was announced that the London Borough of Croydon was to receive a grant of £218,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the mill. The brick tower mill with a Kentish-type boat cap, has been restored with machinery bought largely second hand, coming from a former mill at Stratford, in east London[2].
The windmill is now open to the public, with tours organised by The Friends of Shirley Windmill.
References
- ^ English Heritage Listing details for Shirley Windmill accessed 23 Apr 2007
- ^ George Arthur Windmills in Greater London London's Industrial Archaeology, No 3