Barrington Windmill

Site overview

Barrington Windmill, historically known as Orwell Mill, is a converted tower mill at Barrington in Cambridgeshire. The owners' history records an earlier windmill on the site by the early seventeenth century, with the current mill beginning operation on 17 September 1822, according to an inscription inside the building. It was built of clunch and originally had a cap carrying the sails.

In 1895 it was still in operation, with two pairs of stones, a flour machine, sack tackle and a rigger for use with a portable steam engine. It was recorded as derelict by 1925, and machinery was removed during the Second World War. Anthony O'Sullivan bought the derelict mill in 1960 and converted it to a house, removing the sails and dome and adding the crenellated top.

The tower survives in residential use.

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

Barrington Windmill is the current owner-used name for the converted tower mill at Barrington, while the same site records that it was historically known as Orwell Mill. Windmill World lists it as Orwell, Barrington, and identifies it as a tower corn mill converted to a house with crenellations. The owners' history records a windmill on the site in the early seventeenth century.

A local reference states that a windmill, lately erected by William Totnam, stood west of the village in 1604 and was reconstructed in 1822. The owners also cite Barrington local history material which records Orwell Windmill, now converted to a house, as built in 1822 and used until about 1890, with an earlier mill on the site built by William Trotman in 1604. The current tower began operating on 17 September 1822, a date known from an inscription on an internal base stone.

The 1822 reconstruction was a tower mill built of clunch, a locally available limestone-based building material. It originally had a cap on top to carry the sails. In 1895 the mill was still in operation and was described as having two pairs of stones, a flour machine, sack tackle and a rigger for use with a portable steam engine.

It had single-shuttered clockwise sails and a red-painted ogee cap with a weathercock. By 1925 it was recorded as derelict, and a 1961 newspaper article stated that it had remained idle for 50 years, suggesting disuse from about 1910. Karl Wood painted the derelict mill in 1939.

During the Second World War its machinery was removed, dismantled and used for scrap metal. Anthony O'Sullivan bought the derelict windmill from the local farmer Septimus Prime in 1960 and began converting it into a house. This work removed the sails and dome and added the crenellated top.

O'Sullivan opened the Barrington Bird Farm in 1964 and sold the converted windmill in 1969. Bob and Sue Tydeman bought the property in 1975 and carried out further domestic conversion work. Ben and Rowena Gardiner bought the windmill in 2012 and continued to update and preserve the building.

The tower survives as a converted residential windmill with visible crenellations.

Timeline

1604

Earlier windmill recorded

A windmill west of Barrington village is recorded as lately erected by William Totnam, with local history also referring to William Trotman.

1822

Current tower mill began operating

The current mill began operating on 17 September 1822, according to an inscription on an internal base stone.

1895

Working machinery recorded

The mill was described as still in operation, with two pairs of stones, a flour machine, sack tackle and a rigger for use with a portable steam engine.

1925

Mill recorded as derelict

The mill was recorded as derelict by 1925.

1939

Karl Wood painted the derelict mill

The derelict windmill was painted by Karl Wood.

1939–1945

Machinery removed for scrap

During the Second World War the mill machinery was removed, dismantled and used for scrap metal.

1960

Residential conversion began

Anthony O'Sullivan bought the derelict mill from Septimus Prime and began converting it into a house.

1960–1969

Sails and dome removed

The residential conversion removed the sails and dome and added a crenellated top.

1964

Barrington Bird Farm opened

Tony O'Sullivan started Barrington Bird Farm at the converted windmill property.

1975

Tydeman ownership began

Bob and Sue Tydeman bought the property and undertook further conversion work.

2012

Gardiner ownership began

Ben and Rowena Gardiner bought the windmill and continued to update and preserve the building.

Barrington Windmill Barrington · Cambridgeshire · England