1824
Tower mill constructed
The brick tower mill was built around 1824.
Site overview
Windmill Tower at Mill Farm is a former tower corn mill on North Street, West Butterwick. Built around 1824, it is a four-storey tapered brick tower with a corrugated iron roof, stepped and cogged brick cornice, segment-headed openings, and later inserted doors and windows. The mill formerly had four sails driving three sets of stones and ceased operation in the early 1940s.
By 1978 the wooden upright shaft was the only internal gearing known to remain. The Grade II listed tower survived empty and disused at the time of resurvey and remains a visible remnant of West Butterwick's wind-powered corn-milling history.
Map
Map markers and directions links are provided for location reference only and do not indicate public access or permission to enter a site.
No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.
History
Windmill Tower at Mill Farm stands on North Street in West Butterwick. It was built around 1824 as a brick tower corn mill. The surviving listed structure is a tapered round tower of four storeys with a corrugated iron roof.
Its ground floor has a twentieth-century board door beneath a later brick soldier arch, a probable inserted stable door to the south, and several segment-headed windows. The upper floors retain single segment-headed window openings to the east and west sides, most with frames for top-hung casements but without glazing. The tower is finished with a stepped and cogged brick cornice.
During its working life the mill had four sails driving three sets of stones. It ceased operation in the early 1940s, marking the end of its wind-powered milling role. By 1978 the only known surviving internal gear was the wooden upright shaft.
The tower was empty and disused when resurveyed for listing, but it remains a substantial Grade II listed survival of the former West Butterwick corn mill.
Timeline
1824–1940
Corn mill worked
The mill formerly had four sails driving three sets of stones.
1940–1949
Milling ceased
The mill ceased operation in the early 1940s.
1978
Upright shaft survived
By 1978 the wooden upright shaft was the only internal gearing known to remain.
1987
Listed building designation
Windmill Tower at Mill Farm was listed at Grade II.
Sources and records
Historic England listed building entry: Windmill Tower at Mill Farm
Windmill World site entry: West Butterwick windmill
Mills Archive record: Tower mill, West Butterwick
Lincolnshire Windmills by Peter Dolman
Geograph photograph record: Disused Windmill At West Butterwick
Windmill World site entry: West Butterwick windmill
Mills Archive record: Tower mill, West Butterwick
Lincolnshire Windmills by Peter Dolman
Geograph photograph record: Disused Windmill At West Butterwick