Union Mill, Cranbrook

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Union mill (TQ 779 559 51°16′26″N 0°32′56″E / 51.274, 0.549) is a preserved smock mill in Cranbrook, Kent, England. It is the tallest smock mill in the United Kingdom.^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Description 3 Machinery 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

Union mill was built in 1814 by the Cranbrook millwright James Russell for Mary Dobell and was initially worked by her son Henry. Dobell was declared bankrupt in 1819 and the mill was taken over by a union of her creditors, and thus gained it name. The mill was sold to John Russell in 1832, and remained in the Russell family for five generations until it was purchased by Kent County Council in 1957 after the retirement of the last miller.^[2]

Restoration commenced on 18 June 1958 and was completed in 1960. The restoration cost a total of £6,000. Rex Wailes presided over the official reopening of the mill.

[edit] Description

The mill is seven storeys tall, with a four storey smock on a three storey brick base. It cost £3,500 to build in 1814. The overall height to the cap roof is 72 feet (21.95 m).^[1] The mill was originally built with common sails and a wooden windshaft, with a wide stage. In 1840, Samuel Medhurst,^[3] the Lewes millwright, fitted a cast iron windshaft, and patent sails.^[2] George Warren,^[4] the Hawkhurst millwright fitted a fantail a few years later, giving the mill its current appearance. A 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) steam engine was added in 1863,^[2] along with an extra pair of millstones from a steam mill in Smarden.^[4] In 1880, the wooden stage was replaced with a narrower one of iron, as the wide one was not needed with patent sails. This work was carried out by Warren.^[5] The steam engine had been replaced by a suction gas engine in 1912.^[4] Second hand sails from Sarre Windmill were fitted in 1920.^[6]. In the 1920s, a pair of sails was bought from Beacon Mill, Benenden for re-erection on the mill, but they proved not to be suitable. A pair of 4 feet (1.22 m) diameter millstones from Beacon Mill was installed in the mill about this time.^[7] The mill worked for a few years longer powered by a gas engine, but had ceased milling by the early 1930s,^[5]

John Russell (9 February 1888 - 18 June 1958),^[8] was awarded the very first SPAB certificate in February 1935 for his "zeal in the maintenance" of his mill.^[4][9]

[edit] Machinery

The four patent sails are now carried traditional wooden stocks. When the mill was restored in the 1950s, the Dutch millwright Christiaan Bremer of Adorp was employed,^[10][11] and he made the stocks in the Dutch style. Although these stocks served the mill for over forty years, the did not represent Kentish practice and were not in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings covering mill restoration and repair. The stocks pass through the canister on the cast-iron windshaft, and this carries the brake wheel. The brake wheel drives the wallower, at the top of the upright shaft, and a sack hoist. At the bottom of the upright shaft is the great spur wheel, which drove three pairs of millstones, of which two remain. These are driven overdrift.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Cranbrook Windmill Association
• Cranbrook mill's entry on Windmill World website.

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