3 of 3

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

distance from the nearest settlement, located in a more sheltered site.
Only in flatter areas could a windmill be near the village without too much penalty.

Then, there was the attitude of the farmers to the miller. A bushel of corn doesn't yield a bushel of flour, and the most honest miller would be hard put to prove he hadn't taken more than his due. So, many folk might remark darkly that the miller's pigs are always fattest!

Whenever the wind was suitable; whenever corn was available to be ground, day or night, the miller worked, and rested on the unpaid days when the wind didn't blow. He might be able to take an occasional cat-nap as he sat on the spout floor, testing the quality of the flour which came out by rule of thumb' ... that is, by rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger. He had an ingenious device called a warbler, which rang a bell when he needed to go up to the bin floor, to replenish the grain-bins, lest he grind to a halt'.

Whenever a four-sail mill stopped, the sails usually formed a St. Andrew's cross, which minimised the stresses on them. But, they could be stopped to make a St.
George's cross. This was normally a sign of mourning, but some devout millers used to turn the sails to this position for a few minutes before starting work.

To stop the sails midway between the two positions meant the miller required assistance; maybe he urgently needed the services of a stone-dresser. The prominent
position of the mill would summon him far more quickly than riding around the countryside to find him.

I recalled hearing about how the Dutch Resistance used a similar code in World War
Two, to signal the presence or otherwise of German patrols.

Few windmills were built in Britain after the mid-19th Century. The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 enabled cheaper wheat to be imported. This could be milled by
steam power at the docks. Any milling for local requirements could be done by the less weather-reliant water-mills.

Although working windmills are rare, wind-pumps are still in use in many parts of the
world, especially in remote places where water needs to be pumped up from a bore-hole. We're also seeing more and more wind-driven generators on many a sky-line. This seems to be an ecologically sound way of producing electricity, but, oddly, I frequently hear them being decried as an eyesore.

I wonder, however, if our descendants will be as keen to preserve them as we are
to preserve that tower-mill, dominating the countryside from its hill-top?

Learn more about this author, Keith K..
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about History of windmills?
We want to hear your view. Write now!