Windmills in Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey has had a number of windmills over the centuries. They were mostly corn mills, and about half of those built survive in one form or another.

Guernsey

Moulin Huet

Moulin Huet, Guernsey is a tower mill. It was derelict and capless by 1949 when photographed by Donald Muggeridge.[1]

L'Hyvreuse Windmill

The site of the L'Hyvreuse Windmill is now occupied by the Victoria Tower, built in 1848.[2]

Le Moulin des Monts

Le Moulin des Monts, St Sampson's, was destroyed by lightning in 1660. Its site is now occupied by the De Saumarez Memorial in Delancey Park.[3]

St Martin Windmill

The converted mill still stands in Steam Mill Lane, It houses a jewellery business.[4]

Vale Windmill

Vale Windmill is a five storey tower mill that was built in 1850.[5] Photographs show it to have had four shuttered sails . The cap was similar in shape to those found on Kent windmills and was winded by a fantail. The mill had a stage at first floor level.[6] It was converted into an artillery observation post by the Germans during the Second World War. This work entaild a three storey extension being built on the mill tower, making it 21 metres (68 ft 11 in) high overall.[5] The windmill featured on a 2p postage due stamp issued by the Guernsey post office in 1982.

Sark

Sark Windmill

Sark Windmill was built in 1571 and the seigneur's expense. It is situated on the highest point on Sark (114 meters or 374 feet above sea level), called Le Moulin after the windmill. It is a three storey tower mill with an ogee cap. During the early nineteenth century the mill was burned by Sark tenants protesting against the seigneurial system in Sark and was later refitted with new machinery and heightened.[7][8] It was working by wind until 1917[9] although the sails were removed during World War I. It was used as an observation tower during the German occupation. The mill had four double patent sails, and was winded by a fantail.[10] The mill featured on the 1971 and 1977 2p coins issued by Guernsey.[11]

Little Sark Windmill

Little Sark Windmill was a tower mill. The tower remains today, mostly covered in ivy.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "The Donald W. Muggeridge Collection of Mill Photographs - GUERNSEY". UNIVERSITY OF KENT AT CANTERBURY. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  2. ↑ "Victoria Tower". Islandlife.org. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  3. ↑ "De Saumarez Memorial". States of Guernsey. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  4. ↑ "Windmills of Guernsey". Windmill World. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The Vale Mill". BBC. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  6. ↑ "Guernsey - The Vale Mill - Le Moulin du Valle". cipostcards.co.nz. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  7. ↑ Martin Watts (2006). Windmills. Osprey Publishing. pp. 13–. ISBN 978-0-7478-0653-0. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "SHORT HISTORY OF SARK". sarkinfo. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  9. ↑ "Sark Attractions". Islandlife. Archived from the original on 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  10. ↑ Postcard 4548; The Mill, Sark; Judges Ltd., Hastings.
  11. ↑ George S. Cuhaj (28 February 2011). Collecting World Coins: Circulating Issues 1901 - Present. Krause Publications. pp. 436–. ISBN 978-1-4402-1884-2. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  12. ↑ Postcard titled "The Old Mill - Harvest Time - Little Sark", photograph by Bryan J Dolan