Lovely walk on local public pathway with fantastic views of Windmill known variously as John Webb's Mill or Lowe's Mill.

Thaxted Windmill is a grade II listed tower mill on the edge of the historic hilltop town of Thaxted, about 6 miles south east of Saffron Walden. The mill stands 48 feet high, and is made of red brick, with four wooden sails.

The mill was erected in 1804 on land owned by John Webb, a successful businessman who owned a number of properties locally, including a brick and tile work, and the local Swan Inn. There were 4 other mills in Thaxted at the time, but these were traditional post mills, whereas Webb's Mill was built to a tower design (a post mill rotates the entire body of the structure around a central column, while a tower mill rotates a moveable cap to which the sails are attatched).

The family of millers who worked the mill were the Lowe family, and so the building is sometimes referred to as Lowe's Mill. Interestingly, one of the recent leaders of the John Webb’s Windmill Trust that runs the mill is a direct descendent of the Lowe family.

The building material was local brick, fired just half a mile away, and there were 3 sets of millstones. The mill was in operation for just over a century, but by 1907 it was uneconomic to keep open. The advent of efficient steam engines made wind power less appealling and more costly.

#red #windmill #sunset #uk #britain #england

Find Historic Hotels in Thaxted

Change your mind

Book hotels with free cancellation

Treat yourself

Be picky

Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check availability on Thaxted Historic Hotels

Tonight

Tomorrow

This weekend

Next weekend

Top Thaxted Historic Hotels

"Stayed here to attend a family do and this was the best B&B I have ever stayed in. The owners made you feel welcome and made you feel like a family friend than a stranger. MY double room was very comfortable and the breakfasst next morning was really tasty. If I was travelling through that part of essex and needed a room I would have no hesitation in booking them again."